The number of moped crimes in London have more than halved from 20,973 to 9,723 after Scotland Yard started ramming in to suspects, the force revealed.

Police began using their cars to stop suspected criminals in November 2018, after the number of thieves using scooters to target pedestrians rose dramatically.

Since then the spate of offenders using mopeds in the capital has dropped from 20,973, between June 2017 and July 2018, to just 9,723 in the year until June 2019.

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Police began using their cars to stop suspected criminals in July 2018, after the number of thieves using scooters to target pedestrians rose dramatically (file image)

The 53.7 per cent reduction in offences involving stolen mopeds and motorcycles comes a year after 'tactical contact' was criticised by Labour MP Diane Abbott.

During the surge in moped enabled crimes in 2017 yobs on scooters were targeting pedestrians and snatching phones, wallets and anything else they could get their hands on.

But just four days after police announced tougher measures the Labour frontbencher tweeted: 'Knocking people off bikes is potentially very dangerous. It shouldn't be legal for anyone. Police are not above the law.'

Members of an organised crime group were sentenced to a total of 67 years and ten months in jail after using stolen motorcycles to commit crimes

In 2018 Commander Amanda Pearson, of the Met's front-line policing unit, said the approach was needed to stop dangerous chases.

'A lot of them get up and run away, looking aghast at how dare we,' Ms Pearson said in a briefing at Scotland Yard in November 2018.

A year later the tactics appear to be working - with fewer thefts of mopeds, scooters and motorcycles as a result.

Between July 2017 and June 2018 there were 11,395 bike thefts, which has since fallen by 22.4 per cent, to 8,847 between July 2018 and June 2019.

Chief Inspector Jim Corbett, from Operation Venice, which tackles moped and motorcycle crime, said: 'The reduction in mopeds and motorcycles being used in crime is great to see, but we recognise we are not out of the woods.

'Although we have seen reductions, we need to continue to work together with our partners and the public to reduce crime further and we are asking for the public to follow our Lock, Chain, Cover advice.'

One of the tactics used to stop moped criminals is high-tech water pistols. The aerosol cans drench suspects with forensically-tagged liquid that stays on the skin, clothes and vehicles

A 12-strong group were jailed for a total of 68 years after carrying out a series of high profile raids across the capital

Operation Venice uses a range of tactics including the use of tyre deflators, DNA forensic tagging spray and tactical contact to stop moped and motorcycle enabled crime.

What are some of Diane Abbott's other gaffes and controversies? 2008: Abbott told Andrew Neil on BBC show This Week: 'I suppose that some people would judge that on balance Mao did more good than harm. We can’t say that about the Nazis.' 2010: Accused of playing the 'race card' after she defended sending her son James to a £10,000-a-year school claiming: 'West Indian mums will go to the wall for their children.' 2012: Outrages cab drivers by tweeting: 'Dubious of black people claiming they’ve never experienced racism. Ever tried hailing a taxi I always wonder?' 2017: Told LBC Radio it would cost just £300,000 to hire 10,000 more police officers over four years - a grand total of £30 for each. 2017: Wrongly claims 16-year-olds can fight for their country and should therefore be able to vote. 2017: Refuses four times on the Andrew Marr Show to say she regrets past support of the IRA, adding: 'It was 34 years ago, I had a rather splendid afro at the time. I don't have the same hairstyle and I don't have the same views .' 2018: Angered London Police by criticising their tactic of knocking moped muggers off their vehicles, tweeting: 'Knocking people off bikes is potentially very dangerous. It shouldn't be legal for anyone. Police are not above the law.' 2018: Posts fake image of an Israeli fighter plane bombing Iran in a tweet slamming Britain's airstrikes on Syria. Advertisement

'This includes our Scorpion teams, who use a wide range of tactics including tactical contact, and our investigators who pursue offenders involved and affiliated in moped and motorcycle enabled criminality,' Inspector Corbett added.

Some moped robbers have hit 30 victims in one hour alone, with those coming out of tube stations seen as an easy target. Police officers have also been injured by thieves riding directly into them.

Scotland Yard was previously frustrated in catching the criminals, who often discarded their helmets to discourage officers from chasing them.

But now if a criminal is speeding away from their victim a specialised member of the force can follow them and use their car to tip them over.

Ms Abbott, who is MP for Hackney, a borough plagued by moped crime, waded into the debate last year despite stats showing her constituency has seen more than 3,000 moped enabled crimes in five years.

The shadow Home Secretary, who will be in charge of policing if Labour win the next general election, was criticised by John Apter, National Chair of the Police Federation.

He tweeted: 'My colleagues are doing the best they can to prevent robberies, violent attacks and muggings. All their decisions will be based on a wide range of information but they need the law to support them. This is very unhelpful.'

Victims of the spate of incidents included ex chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and comedian Michael McIntyre, who was robbed of his Rolex by two men on a moped while parked outside his children's school.

And in May Amanda Holden witnessed members of a gang tell a mother they would hurt her toddler if she refused to hand over her rings.

The 12-strong group were jailed for a total of 68 years after carrying out a series of high profile raids across the capital.

The Met says it only uses the tactic as a last resort to stop muggers who are a risk to pedestrians or putting police in danger.