The Government is committed to tackling mobile phone theft and supports the operational activity being led by policing through Operation Reckoning.

Since January 2025, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has delivered its most comprehensive and intelligence-led response to mobile phone theft and robbery through Operation Reckoning. This is delivering results – street crime involving the theft of a mobile phone recorded by the MPS has fallen by over 16,000 offences in the year to September 2026, a reduction of 21% across London and 43% in Westminster, according to their own published data.

The Home Office collects data on the number of theft offences reported to the police in England and Wales by police force. It is not possible from information held centrally to identify mobile phone thefts reported to individual police forces.

The most recent phase of Operation Reckoning has, for the first time, expanded beyond London and involved forces across England and Wales working with industry and other partners. Activity has included visits to second-hand mobile phone retailers, intelligence-led enforcement activity and work to disrupt the criminal markets that enable stolen devices to be sold on for profit.

The operation is coordinated nationally by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, enabling forces to share intelligence, operational tactics and lessons learned to strengthen the collective response to mobile phone theft and support disruption activity across England and Wales.

The Government is committed to tackling mobile phone theft and supports the operational activity being led by policing through Operation Reckoning.

Since January 2025, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has delivered its most comprehensive and intelligence-led response to mobile phone theft and robbery through Operation Reckoning. This is delivering results – street crime involving the theft of a mobile phone recorded by the MPS has fallen by over 16,000 offences in the year to September 2026, a reduction of 21% across London and 43% in Westminster, according to their own published data.

The Home Office collects data on the number of theft offences reported to the police in England and Wales by police force. It is not possible from information held centrally to identify mobile phone thefts reported to individual police forces.

The most recent phase of Operation Reckoning has, for the first time, expanded beyond London and involved forces across England and Wales working with industry and other partners. Activity has included visits to second-hand mobile phone retailers, intelligence-led enforcement activity and work to disrupt the criminal markets that enable stolen devices to be sold on for profit.

The operation is coordinated nationally by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, enabling forces to share intelligence, operational tactics and lessons learned to strengthen the collective response to mobile phone theft and support disruption activity across England and Wales.

The Government is committed to tackling mobile phone theft and supports the operational activity being led by policing through Operation Reckoning.

Since January 2025, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has delivered its most comprehensive and intelligence-led response to mobile phone theft and robbery through Operation Reckoning. This is delivering results – street crime involving the theft of a mobile phone recorded by the MPS has fallen by over 16,000 offences in the year to September 2026, a reduction of 21% across London and 43% in Westminster, according to their own published data.

The Home Office collects data on the number of theft offences reported to the police in England and Wales by police force. It is not possible from information held centrally to identify mobile phone thefts reported to individual police forces.

The most recent phase of Operation Reckoning has, for the first time, expanded beyond London and involved forces across England and Wales working with industry and other partners. Activity has included visits to second-hand mobile phone retailers, intelligence-led enforcement activity and work to disrupt the criminal markets that enable stolen devices to be sold on for profit.

The operation is coordinated nationally by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, enabling forces to share intelligence, operational tactics and lessons learned to strengthen the collective response to mobile phone theft and support disruption activity across England and Wales.

The Government is committed to tackling mobile phone theft and supports the operational activity being led by policing through Operation Reckoning.

Since January 2025, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has delivered its most comprehensive and intelligence-led response to mobile phone theft and robbery through Operation Reckoning. This is delivering results – street crime involving the theft of a mobile phone recorded by the MPS has fallen by over 16,000 offences in the year to September 2026, a reduction of 21% across London and 43% in Westminster, according to their own published data.

The Home Office collects data on the number of theft offences reported to the police in England and Wales by police force. It is not possible from information held centrally to identify mobile phone thefts reported to individual police forces.

The most recent phase of Operation Reckoning has, for the first time, expanded beyond London and involved forces across England and Wales working with industry and other partners. Activity has included visits to second-hand mobile phone retailers, intelligence-led enforcement activity and work to disrupt the criminal markets that enable stolen devices to be sold on for profit.

The operation is coordinated nationally by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, enabling forces to share intelligence, operational tactics and lessons learned to strengthen the collective response to mobile phone theft and support disruption activity across England and Wales.

Decisions about operational policing, including the deployment of officers at London railway stations, are matters for the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP), who is operationally independent of Government.

As the dedicated police force for the railway, BTP works with partners to keep all passengers safe across the network. BTP undertakes operations to tackle theft of passenger property and organised criminal activity, using targeted plain-clothes deployments and intelligence-led activity to disrupt organised criminal groups.

This work has delivered a sustained reduction in theft of passenger property and other volume crime, including high-harm offences.

Theft of passenger property fell by 9.2% in 2025/26 and this improvement reflects joint targeted prevention activity with industry partners, including safety announcements on the London Underground by serving BTP officers, high visibility patrols at peak times and improved use of data to identify prolific offenders.

The Government is working with the rail industry to tackle ticketless travel, while ensuring passengers who make genuine mistakes are treated fairly and consistently.

We have committed £33.4 million to new and improved ticket gates across England, targeted at fare evasion hotspots. We are also working with the rail industry to improve data sharing, prosecutions and the consistency of revenue protection activity.

Responsibility for enforcement on London Underground rests primarily with Transport for London and the British Transport Police.

Fuel theft undermines businesses and their workers. Those who dishonestly make off without paying can face prosecution, with the offence of making off without payment carrying a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment on conviction on indictment. Police should take firm action where criminality is reported.

We recognise that some fuel theft can involve offenders operating across force boundaries. Through police reform, the Government is strengthening the national and regional response to crime that crosses those boundaries, including through stronger national leadership, consistent standards and improved coordination.

Alongside this, the Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, ensuring communities have named, contactable officers focused on tackling local crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Government is also supporting more effective action when drivers leave without paying. DVLA has modernised its processes to make it easier for authorised retailers and recovery agents to access registered keeper details, supporting recovery of unpaid charges.

We do not hold specific figures for fuel theft. Such offences can be recorded under different crime classifications, including making off without payment and, depending on the circumstances, other theft or burglary offences. It is therefore not possible to provide a reliable breakdown of recorded crime specifically relating to fuel theft.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information data for the number of offences contrary to s12A of the Theft Act 1968 in which a prosecution commenced that were finalised between1st July 2024 to 31st March 2026. The table below provides this information:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

Additionally, management information is held showing the number of defendants by outcome allocated the Principal Offence Category of Theft and Handling Stolen Goods at the conclusion of their prosecution case. This data is shown in the following table:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information data for the number of offences contrary to s9 of the Theft Act 1968 in which a prosecution commenced that were finalised between1st July 2024 to 31st March 2026. The table below provides this information:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

Additionally, management information is held showing the number of defendants by outcome allocated the Principal Offence Category of Theft and Handling Stolen Goods at the conclusion of their prosecution case. This data is shown in the following table:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information data for the number of offences contrary to s8 of the Theft Act 1968 in which a prosecution commenced that were finalised between1st July 2024 to 31st March 2026. The table below provides this information:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

Additionally, management information is held showing the number of defendants by outcome allocated the Principal Offence Category of Theft and Handling Stolen Goods at the conclusion of their prosecution case. This data is shown in the following table:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information data for the number of offences contrary to s12 of the Theft Act 1968 in which a prosecution commenced that were finalised between1st July 2024 to 31st March 2026. The table below provides this information:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

Additionally, management information is held showing the number of defendants by outcome allocated the Principal Offence Category of Theft and Handling Stolen Goods at the conclusion of their prosecution case. This data is shown in the following table:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information data for the number of offences contrary to s10 of the Theft Act 1968 in which a prosecution commenced that were finalised between1st July 2024 to 31st March 2026. The table below provides this information:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

Additionally, management information is held showing the number of defendants by outcome allocated the Principal Offence Category of Theft and Handling Stolen Goods at the conclusion of their prosecution case. This data is shown in the following table:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information data for the number of offences contrary to s1 and 7 of the Theft Act 1968 in which a prosecution commenced that were finalised between1st July 2024 to 31st March 2026. (S1 of the Theft Act provides a basic definition of “theft” and s7 creates the offence). The table below provides this information:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

Additionally, management information is held showing the number of defendants by outcome allocated the Principal Offence Category of Theft and Handling Stolen Goods at the conclusion of their prosecution case. This data is shown in the following table:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

Decisions on station security, the replacement or reallocation of stolen equipment, working with Police, and the continuity arrangements needed to maintain local cover, are all matters for each Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), informed by its assessment of local risk.

The Department does not hold central data on these thefts.

The Department also is, however, working with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and FRSs to improve information sharing within the sector on break-ins and equipment thefts, such that it can facilitate better understanding of the pattern of incidents and inform local protective measures within the sector.

Rural crime can have a devastating impact on communities and the agricultural sector, particularly when machinery and equipment are stolen.

We are improving the safety of rural communities with tougher measures to clamp down on organised rural crime, equipment theft, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.

The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 received Royal Assent in July 2023, but its substantive provisions require secondary legislation before they can take effect. The Government’s response to the Call for Evidence, published on 10 March 2026, sets out the proposed scope of that legislation. It will require all new All-Terrain Vehicles to be forensically marked, and their details recorded on a property database.

The Department has not made an assessment of trends in organised crime groups affecting rural communities, or of the impact of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 on levels of agricultural equipment theft, since the Act's provisions are not yet in force. However, the National Farmers’ Union Mutual Crime Report reported reductions in the cost of rural crime by 6% in 2025.

We recognise that organised criminal groups are involved in rural offences, including the theft of agricultural machinery, livestock and fuel. The Home Office is therefore providing over £800,000 in 2026/27 for the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. These specialist capabilities provide operational support, intelligence, analysis and coordination to police forces across the UK, helping them to identify, disrupt and pursue offenders operating across force boundaries.

The Home Office has also worked closely with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to support the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) in delivering their Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy for 2025–28. This strategy provides a framework through which policing and its partners can work together to tackle the crimes that predominantly affect rural communities, including organised criminality affecting farms and agricultural businesses.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 9th October is attached.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) in delivering their Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy for 2025–28. This strategy provides a framework through which policing and its partners can work together to tackle the crimes that predominantly affect rural communities, including organised criminality affecting farms and agricultural businesses.

Rural crime is not currently recorded as a distinct category within police recorded crime, so it is not possible to produce a single, centrally verified measure of its scale. Instead, offences affecting rural communities - such as theft, criminal damage and wildlife crime - are recorded within existing national categories. Our focus is therefore on improving understanding and response through better use of existing data, and by strengthening national coordination via the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy and specialist units.

To support the policing response, the Home Office is providing over £800,000 in 2026/27 to the National Rural Crime Unit and National Wildlife Crime Unit.

These specialist capabilities provide intelligence, analysis, coordination and operational support to forces across the UK, helping to identify, disrupt and pursue offenders operating across force boundaries. We are committed to improving victims’ experiences by funding vital support services, ensuring access to appropriate assistance, and working with partners across the criminal justice system to deliver the rights set out in the Victims’ Code.

The Government is also committed to working closely with devolved governments, ministers and relevant agencies across the UK. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure the weight of government is put behind tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.

The CESAR security and registration scheme is already in place and is used by the construction and agricultural industry with over 650,000 machines now protected and registered using this scheme. We are also seeking to implement measures under the Equipment Theft Act, which will make it harder to steal All-Terrain Vehicles and GPS units used in an agricultural setting and easier for the police to identify the owners when such items are recovered.

The Cabinet Office has recorded twenty lost mobile phones, and one stolen phone since July 2026.

Cabinet Office's Security Breach Policy requires all individuals to follow directions from Cabinet Office Security when there is a security breach, such as theft of Cabinet Office electronics. As part of its standard operating procedures Cabinet Office Security will log any loss and will direct individuals to report any stolen items to the police and request a crime reference number.

Rural crime can have a devastating impact on rural communities and the agricultural sector. Rural crime is not recorded as a distinct category within police recorded crime, so it is not possible to produce a single, centrally verified assessment of its scale. However, NFU Mutual’s latest Rural Crime Report estimates that the overall cost of rural crime fell by 6% in 2025.

The Government acknowledges there is more to do, that’s why we are implementing the Equipment Theft Act to make agricultural equipment harder to steal and easier to recover, including new requirements for forensic marking and registration of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and agricultural GPS units.

We recognise that organised criminal groups are involved in rural offences, including the theft of agricultural machinery, livestock and fuel. The Home Office is therefore providing over £800,000 in 2026/27 for the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. These specialist capabilities provide operational support, intelligence, analysis and coordination to police forces across the UK, helping them to identify, disrupt and pursue offenders operating across force boundaries. The National Rural Crime Unit has helped recover £32 million worth of stolen machinery, vehicles and equipment since it was established.

The Home Office worked closely with DEFRA and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to publish the 2025-2028 Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, which further strengthens the policing response by setting national operational and organisational priorities and supporting intelligence-led action against organised criminality.

Visibility and responsiveness are critical to building trust in rural communities, which is why our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is strengthening local policing presence in all areas, including rural areas. By 31 March 2026, forces had delivered 3,814 additional neighbourhood policing personnel, and our target remains 13,000 by the end of the parliament. In addition, through the guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban, has named and contactable officers dedicated to tackling local crime and anti-social behaviour, with a response to non-urgent enquiries within 72 hours. These measures, alongside strengthened specialist national capability, will support forces to prevent and investigate rural crime and protect rural communities.