Moped gangs turn to bikes after crackdown

Street robbery gangs have turned to using bicycles in the face of a crackdown on moped crime in the capital, the police have disclosed.

Moped crimes fell from 15,168 in 2018, to 8,721 in 2019, the Met Police reported yesterday.

But in the year to Feb 9, it recorded 2,325 robberies where the mugger used a bike − up from 1,380 the previous year.

Det Chief Insp Shaun White said following “significant success” with Operation Venice, which saw police use controversial tactics including knocking suspects off mopeds, a similar operation would be launched targeting criminals on bikes.