Covert tactic being used in London to tackle surge in offences involving the vehicles

Officers from the Metropolitan police are being disguised as takeaway delivery drivers as part of operations to catch and disrupt moped-riding criminals in London, the Guardian can reveal.



The covert tactic forms part of a range of measures deployed by authorities to combat last year’s surge in thefts, robberies and violent crime involving mopeds, when delivery drivers were frequently targeted. More than 23,000 moped-enabled crimes were recorded in London in 2017, compared with fewer than 900 in 2012.

The tactic is understood to be entirely operational and police officers are not delivering takeaway food to members of the public.

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More police resources have been dedicated to tackling moped crime since protests last July when hundreds of delivery drivers gathered outside parliament after an acid attack in east London on Jabed Hussain, an UberEats driver.

Play Video 0:32 Moped delivery drivers block parliament square in protest at acid attacks – video

On Friday Theresa May said new powers for the police to pursue moped thieves were under active consideration in Whitehall after meetings between the Met police and the Home Office.

“One of the things we’re looking at is in terms of the pursuit,” she said. “We are ensuring that they have the powers they need and are able to pursue them and to take the action that we all agree that they ought to take.”

The increased efforts come during a deadly period for food delivery workers in the capital. On Tuesday a 14-year-old boy was charged with murder over the death of Mark Fontaine, 41, who was reportedly working as a delivery driver when he was fatally stabbed in Kensington, west London, on 30 May. Some drivers are refusing to work in parts of the capital after dark due to safety concerns.

Moped-enabled crime in London has fallen by more than 55% since it peaked in July last year, when 2,593 offences were recorded in a single month, but hundreds of crimes are still being committed every week. In May, 1,154 crimes were recorded by the Met, the lowest monthly figure since January 2017.



Food delivery companies have also recorded a fall in incidents, but they emphasised that serious violent crime against their drivers was the primary concern and an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in parts of the capital was a daily issue.



On Friday a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old were arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with an incident that left a 24-year-old woman in a critical condition after she was punched when two men on a moped stole her mobile phone and bag.

A 14-year-old boy who has been charged in connection with seven moped robberies in the capital is due to appear at Highbury Corner magistrates court on Saturday.

The teenager is alleged to have been a pillion passenger on a moped during a string of incidents in the space of an hour on Thursday.

Scotland Yard said robberies were reported in Hornsey, Crouch End and Muswell Hill, all in north London, between 1.15pm and 2.15pm.

Police identified two suspects on a moped in nearby Middle Lane at about 2.20pm, and detained the passenger. The driver of the moped fled.

The teenage suspect, from Tottenham, was taken into custody. A total of 13 mobile phones were found in his possession, Scotland Yard said.

Although the vast majority of moped-enabled offences in the UK have occurred in London, delivery companies have also raised concerns about parts of Birmingham. Last year a freedom of information request by Birmingham Live revealed that more than 80 moped-enabled offences had been committed in the city, including thefts, robberies and assaults. On Tuesday in the south of Birmingham a Ford Fiesta was stolen after the driver was threatened at knifepoint by a group of people on mopeds.



Jordan, a delivery driver in Birmingham, was robbed at knifepoint by two people riding a moped in December. “They came up to me as I was delivering a parcel, so I just gave it to them. It’s much worse in London though. I had my phone stolen in January by a moped rider with the guy on the back swinging a hammer,” he said.

In London, food delivery companies such as Deliveroo and UberEats have stepped up cooperation with the Met and the Home Office to help tackle moped-enabled crime. Deliveroo has hired 50 staff to help improve rider safety across the UK.



Last October the Met started using slimline motorcycles that can drive down narrow streets, remotely activated spikes and a fluorescent DNA spray with a unique code that stays on skin for up to eight weeks and on clothes indefinitely.

The government is consulting on new police pursuit rules that would make suspects responsible for their own driving and prevent officers from being prosecuted for their driving during a chase. The law currently allows emergency services to break the speed limit, but police officers can be prosecuted for driving considered dangerous or careless. This has led some officers to avoid pursuing suspects due to fears they could be prosecuted.

Play Video 0:38 Suspects flee on mopeds after robbing jewellery store in London – video

When asked to comment on the use of delivery driver disguises, a Met spokesperson said: “We cannot confirm or deny the existence of such an operation or tactic, nor can we comment on covert policing methods or tactics due to operational reasons.

“We are using a range of tactics, both overt and covert, and every borough is mobilised to tackle offenders using local knowledge to tailor the policing required for their area, which may include automatic number plate reader deployments, conducting proactive investigations and operations which focus on high-volume offenders, and DNA capture.”

A campaign has been launched encouraging drivers to lock, chain and cover their scooters and motorbikes. More than 15,000 were stolen last year in London, accounting for about half of all vehicles taken in the capital.



Since the start of this year, the Met has recorded a 22.2% reduction in scooter theft.

The policing minister, Nick Hurd, said: “The Metropolitan police is working hard to tackle moped crime, which has been falling virtually month on month in the capital since its peak in July last year.

“We are determined to support the police in their fight against crime and that is why we are consulting to change the law to give officers greater confidence to chase suspects on the roads.”