Thieves steal one million pounds in watches monthly in West End

Thieves are stealing watches worth one million pounds every month from visitors in London's West End. The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, and ITVX all reported the monthly theft figure, citing information from the Metropolitan Police and court disclosures. [1][2][6]

The Daily Mail reported that 97 watch robberies, including attempted thefts, occurred between January and June 2026. A further 70 expensive watches were stolen between July and September 2026. Police reported that a knife was seen or implied in 20 per cent of watch robberies over the past six months. [1]

Across the broader area of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster, 1,196 general robberies occurred between January and June 2026, according to the Daily Mail. The West End is a London district located west of the City of London and north of the River Thames. [1][7]

The robbery statistics follow earlier action by law enforcement in the capital. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Metropolitan Police previously arrested more than 700 people and seized hundreds of devices during a major London-wide operation targeting phone thieves. [8]