Ian Rowley has a stark warning for anyone visiting central London, where he lives and also serves as a local politician.
“Don’t wear a luxury watch. It will get snatched,” he told The National.
“I don’t know anyone who wears a luxury watch, because it will get snatched.”
The representative for Marylebone High Street ward on Westminster City Council, Mr Rowley despairs not only that elegant streets in his neighbourhood are a hot spot for thefts, but that London's police force is doing so little to pursue crimes or stop them from happening in the first place.
I don’t know anyone who wears a luxury watch, because it will get snatched
Councillor Ian Rowley,
Westminster City Council
A spate of thefts of luxury watches, often snatched by audacious gangs using mopeds to escape in broad daylight through its bustling streets, brought crime into sharp focus in the British capital.
While the Metropolitan Police set up a special task force to deal with the problem last year, anecdotal reports and figures from surveys show little respite in the fight against lawlessness.
An investigation by The National reveals how rates of theft, robbery and knife crime in central London, one of the wealthiest parts of the UK, exceed those of the rest of the city.
With London often acting as the world's window to the UK, the Met Police and mayor Sadiq Khan are under political pressure to tackle robberies and other crime that harm the city’s reputation as a safe place for visitors.
Wealthy visitors could be scared away
Gary Hersham, the founding director of Beauchamp Estates, who deals with high-end clients from the Gulf, told The National that London needs to get a grip on crime to maintain its status as a global city that's attractive to investors.
“London is competing with other wealth centres around the world to attract investment, visitors and new full and part-time residents so the provision of security for both residential and commercial property, and controlling crime, is extremely important,” he said.
“Destinations such as Monaco, Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are popular with wealthy residents and visitors because security is taken extremely seriously.
“Our offices in the Middle East and the South of France have a regular flow of people wanting to buy homes in the Gulf and Monaco respectively because in both locations security is so well regarded.
“It is essential that security provision in London keeps up with other global locations such as these.”
Hersham added that residences in places such as Kensington Palace Gardens, Eaton Square and apartments in Mayfair are popular addresses because they had on-site security and CCTV.
How bad has crime got?
Rowley represents an area of Westminster Council close to the Edgware Road area of central London, which has a large population of residents from the Middle East.
The borough is also home to many of the tourist sites that attract about 4.5 million visitors to the city and some of its wealthiest areas as well as packed, world famous shopping streets.
But according the CrimeRate database, it is also the “most dangerous” part of London, with a crime rate 215 per cent higher than the rest of the city – and 260 per cent higher than the rest of England and Wales.
In the year to April, crime increased by 32 per cent in the area compared to the previous year, with theft the most common offence, Met Police figures show.
In the same time period, robbery was up by 34 per cent and theft 66 per cent, according to the data.
Of the 3785 robberies, 1765 were of mobile phones. That compares with figures of 1,459 and 699 in the neighbouring borough of Camden.
When it comes to knife crime, the Met Police data reveals that the borough has a knife-crime rate of 3.3 per 1,000 of the population, compared to 1.5 for the whole of the city.
Knife crime went up 25 per cent in the year ending April compared with the year before and in March to April this year, it went up 12 per cent.
Criminologist James Alexander told The National the “ridiculously high” crime in central London has been partly fuelled by the economic difficulties Britain is facing.
Opportunist gangs, who have perfected their techniques, are taking advantage of the concentration of people in central London, to where they have shifted their activities and away from the suburbs, he explained.
Once a robbery has taken place “it's very hard for the police to deal with”, said Dr Alexander, from London Metropolitan University.
“I've been driving along with the police and it's impossible. You're hardly ever going to catch them.”
A Met Police spokesperson told The National that robbery victims are urged to call police within a 'Golden Hour' so officers can begin investigating immediately.
Why has knife crime become so prevalent?
The shadow of knife crime looms over London and many believe there is now a culture of carrying knives, not only by gang members, but across society as a whole. Incidents are at a 76-year high.
London currently has a rate of 50 crimes involving knives and other offensive weapons that resulted in a prison sentence or caution per 100,000 people, according to new Ministry of Justice figures. That puts the city's rate among the highest in the UK.
Knives were used in 2,480 gadget thefts in 2022, a 6 per cent increase from the year before, resulting in 180 injuries, a 35 per cent increase from the previous year, data produced by insurer Direct Line shows.
On knife crime, officers recently took part in a crack down that included seizing weapons. "Tackling violent crime continues be a priority for everyone in the Met, and our teams work tirelessly to ensure the streets of London are safe," the spokesperson said.
The horror of knives was brought home by the murder of 20-year-old Omani student Mohammed Al-Araimi, who was stabbed to death near Harrods department store by a pair of robbers.
The Ben Kinsella Trust, which campaigns to end knife crime, was founded in memory of a 16-year-old stabbed outside a London school in 2008.
Patrick Green, the charity’s chief executive, said sentencing data shows courts are still failing to tackle knife-crime offenders.
“Knife-crime offences as recorded by the police have gone up 6 per cent last year, but the number of defendants going through the courts is going down.
“You would expect if there were more offences, there would be more offenders going through court.
It appears that there a large number of people who don’t see the law as a deterrent and feel free to carry knives with impunity
Patrick Green,
knife-crime campaigner
“We are also seeing high numbers of repeat offenders who are not getting custodial sentences.
“It appears that there a large number of people who don’t see the law as a deterrent and feel free to carry knives with impunity.”
Fear of crime
One common theme among Londoners is a fear of crime and a sense that the police have given up trying to tackle some offences.
Nearly half of Londoners say they have seen an increase in crime in their area, including that involving knives, with most believing the police can’t be relied on to deal with minor crimes, a survey carried out by the Centre for London think tank found.
“Londoners need to feel safe in their daily lives or our city simply doesn’t work,” its research director Claire Harding told The National.
“Our recent polling shows that the Metropolitan Police and policymakers still have work to do to make this a reality. Regaining the trust of all the capital’s communities is key to making London a safer city.”
Yet London continues to score highly as one of the world’s safest cities to visit and was ranked ninth in the world in research carried out by insurance company Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protect, above Sydney, Barcelona and Rome.
Away from the crime hot spots of Westminster and the neighbouring borough of Kensington and Chelsea, there is a mixed picture with one borough, Richmond upon Thames, having a crime rate 28 per cent lower than the national average.
What's being done?
Both the mayor and his political opponents set out a blizzard of statistics to make their point that crime is either coming down or soaring.
The Met Police has an ongoing campaign, Operation Venice, aimed at tackling robberies using mopeds with officers using motorbikes and marked cars to intercept suspects.
They are authorised to use what's called “tactical contact” to bump suspects off mopeds or e-bikes.
Mr Khan and the police insist London has turned a corner after the high-profile moped crimes and his office released figures to The National that show robbery citywide is down 27 per cent and knife-enabled crime down 16 per cent.
A Met Police spokesperson said the work was ongoing to combat crime in known hotspots. “We know that opportunistic criminals target areas of high footfall, such as Westminster," the spokesperson said. "To combat robberies, we have specialist teams of both uniformed officers and detectives who focus on responding effectively to reports of robbery.
"They attend calls quickly, search the area with victims and witnesses for suspects, and secure CCTV and forensic evidence."
While the parties squabble over the statistics, the true story of crime in London might not be getting told, with many people feeling it's not worthwhile telling the police.
Rowley said constituents have told him there's a reluctance to report crime to the police, which he believes is not attributable to any language barrier.
“The problem is that people have just given up reporting thefts because there’s a lack of police resourcing so there’s an underreporting of petty crime.
“The response rate is slow, if your phone is snatched there’s little chance of getting it back.”
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
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Year started: 2017
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Employees: 100-120
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Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
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Fuel consumption: L/100km
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MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
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- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17
Teams
Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan
Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad
Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider
Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider
Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah
Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
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Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
