Parts of north London had some of the highest rates of theft in the country according to crime data from last year.

Camden was the area with the second highest rate of theft in England and Wales in 2022, with 97 offences recorded for every 1,000 people.

The Office for National Statistics' data for theft offences includes burglaries and shoplifting as well as vehicle, personal and bike thefts.

Westminster was the area with the highest rate of theft, with 250 cases for every 1,000 people, with 89 of those recorded as theft from the person.

Islington (63/1,000), Hackney (58/1,000) and Haringey (49/1,000) were also among the top ten areas with the highest rates of theft in the country.

The new data suggests that theft is rising in huge swathes of north London, as lockdown restrictions which were common throughout 2020 and 2021 have been eased.

The rate of theft in Camden has almost doubled, standing at just 51 cases per 1,000 people in 2021.

Rates in Islington and Hackney have also risen, albeit not as dramatically, while the rate of theft in Haringey was the same in both of the last two years.

Money-saving app ZipZero’s chief executive told PA in May that “a staggering number of adults” were turning to petty theft amid the cost-of-living crisis.