Daytime thefts reach record high with seven out of 10 pickpockets and nearly ... trends now
Thieves are becoming more brazen as thefts during the daytime reached a five-year record high, new figures show.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed more than seven in ten (71 percent) of pickpocketing incidents and nearly half of bike thefts (46 percent) took place in the morning or afternoon.
The data, published in the annual British Crime Survey, is compared with previous highs of 63 percent and 41 percent respectively in 2020.
The trend is also the same for other types of thefts including vehicle related incidents and burglaries in outbuildings such as sheds.
Figures show daytime attempts of theft of a vehicle rose from 15 percent in 2020, the last time the survey was undertaken, to 21 percent in 2023.
Pickpocketing is among one of the most common forms of theft during the day (Stock image)
The data, published in the annual British Crime Survey, shows bike thefts are becoming more common in the day
Meanwhile, burglaries in outbuildings hit a record high of 25 per cent last year, up from 20 percent in 2020.
The British Crime Survey is based on questioning around 35,000 people every year.
Former victims commissioner Dame Vera Baird, said the data suggested that criminals felt 'free to go about what they want to do' without fear of being caught or spotted by police on the beat.
Rory Geoghegan, a former No 10 policy adviser and founder of the Public Safety Foundation, told The Telegraph: 'These figures indicate criminals are not just becoming more brazen, but they also appear to be targeting higher value items – such as expensive cars, bikes and jewellery.
'The best thing the Government could do to help cut this crime would be to ensure these prolific criminals receive prison sentences – rather than the suspended sentences currently proposed in the Government's forthcoming legislation.'
Yesterday, MailOnline reported how a brazen thief used an angle grinder to cut through a bike lock in just two seconds.
The thief can be seen in broad daylight walking up to the bicycle before pulling out the cordless power tool.
The theft took place on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, east London.
Thieves are also increasingly eyeing up vehicles to steal during the day (Stock image)
Burglary is more common on outbuildings during the day rather than in the main home
