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London Crime Briefing
Significant incidents, hearings, outcomes and public-data changes across the capital.
Area
Kensington and Chelsea crime
36 stories from and about Kensington and Chelsea, mostly community safety, policing, violent crime. The most recent ran on 14 September 2026. Page 2 of 2.
Reported from Kensington and Chelsea
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Policing · Kensington and ChelseaMet Police seize £8m in supercars across Kensington and Chelsea
Metropolitan Police seized 90 vehicles worth over £8 million in a three-day operation across Kensington, Chelsea and Hyde Park. One was a £3.7 million Ferrari Monza SP2, in the UK for only one day. Fifteen cars were taken under new powers allowing immediate seizure for antisocial behaviour.
Kensington and Chelsea4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 87 · Hype 35- Policing · Kensington and Chelsea
£8m in supercars seized in Kensington and Chelsea traffic crackdown
Metropolitan Police seized 90 vehicles worth over £8 million in Kensington and Chelsea between 7 and 9 August 2026, targeting uninsured and dangerous drivers. The operation, led by Special Chief Inspector Geoff Tatman, responded to local complaints and used new powers to seize vehicles involved in antisocial behaviour.
Kensington and Chelsea4 min readTrust 64 · Craft 80 · Hype 35 
Courts · Kensington and ChelseaGary Glitter charged with 1970s child sex offences in Kensington and Chelsea
Gary Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, faces four charges relating to alleged sexual offences against a girl aged 8-11 between 1978 and 1981 at his Kensington and Chelsea home. He was remanded in custody and will next appear at the Old Bailey on 2 September 2026.
Kensington and Chelsea5 min readTrust 42 · Craft 55 · Hype 35
Violent Crime · Kensington and ChelseaWoman self-harms at Kensington and Chelsea Council service desk on Hornton Street
A woman injured herself at Kensington and Chelsea Council’s customer service centre on 17 June. The centre closed for the rest of the day and reopened the following afternoon. Emergency services, including London’s Air Ambulance, attended the mental health-related incident.
Kensington and Chelsea4 min readTrust 55 · Craft 65 · Hype 50
Community Safety · Kensington and ChelseaKensington and Chelsea approves 24-hour gambling arcade opposite Earl’s Court station
Kensington and Chelsea Council has granted Silvertime Amusements a 24-hour licence for a new gambling venue opposite Earl’s Court Tube station. The decision follows 346 objections and a planning refusal in April. The company must now win a planning appeal to proceed.
Kensington and Chelsea5 min readTrust 50 · Craft 95 · Hype 30
Policing · Kensington and ChelseaHigh Court bans late-night car meets across Kensington and Chelsea
Kensington and Chelsea Council has won a High Court injunction to prohibit late-night car meets in seven central London wards. Police can now use CCTV, social media or witness statements to prosecute drivers who gather between 6 pm and 7 am for racing, stunts or antisocial driving.
Kensington and Chelsea5 min readTrust 50 · Craft 80 · Hype 30
Also affecting Kensington and Chelsea
Borough-wide and national stories that name Kensington and Chelsea or bear directly on it.
- Latest
Jack Shepherd jailed for stabbing girlfriend with barbecue tongs
Jack Shepherd, known for his manslaughter conviction, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for assaulting his girlfriend. The attacks, which included stabbing her with barbecue tongs, occurred in February and June of last year and resulted in his recall to custody.
3 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 45 
Community Safety · BarnetBarnet Council appoints Grenfell‑linked director, residents fear safety
Barnet Group confirmed Laura Johnson as permanent director of development and property in August 2026, paying her £157,078. The Grenfell inquiry linked her to cheaper, combustible cladding. Survivors and Grenfell United have urged the council to rethink the hire as police prepare charges.
Barnet3 min readTrust 66 · Craft 95 · Hype 28
Community Safety · Hammersmith and FulhamHammersmith and Fulham trials A-board ban on Uxbridge Road
Hammersmith and Fulham Council is to temporarily ban advertising A-boards along Uxbridge Road for 12 months from October. The move follows resident complaints about pavement obstructions and clutter, and will inform a wider consultation on a potential borough-wide ban.
Hammersmith and Fulham3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 75 · Hype 40
Community Safety · BarnetBarnet housing boss appointment sparks Grenfell fire inquiry criticism
The Barnet Group has appointed Laura Johnson as its permanent group director of development and property. Johnson previously served as director of housing at Kensington and Chelsea during the Grenfell Tower fire. A Green councillor has criticised the decision, citing findings from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Barnet3 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 45
Policing · BarnetGrenfell-linked housing boss given permanent role by Barnet Group
Laura Johnson, a former housing director at Kensington and Chelsea Council during the Grenfell Tower fire, has been permanently appointed as group director of development and property at The Barnet Group. The decision follows criticism from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and concerns raised by survivors.
Barnet3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 75 · Hype 45
Policing · WestminsterMet Police officer drives seized £3.7m Ferrari through Mayfair in convoy
A Metropolitan Police officer drove a seized Ferrari Monza SP2, valued at £3.7 million, through Mayfair accompanied by a police convoy. The car was confiscated at a supercar meet near Hyde Park Corner on Saturday. The Met seized 70 supercars worth £7 million in a single weekend last year, many uninsured or linked to anti-social driving.
Westminster4 min readTrust 36 · Craft 79 · Hype 68
Crime Data · LondonLondon rape charge rate falls to 3.4% as reports rise across capital
London recorded 28,203 sexual offences, including 9,949 rapes, in the year ending March 2026. The charge rate for rape dropped to 3.4%, while Westminster had the highest rate of sexual offences per resident in England and Wales.
London5 min readTrust 62 · Craft 77 · Hype 30
Courts · LondonZacariah Boulares admits machete robberies in Kensington and Bayswater
Zacariah Boulares, already serving 22 months for phone theft from a Bridgerton actress, has pleaded guilty to robbing two men at machete-point in Kensington Square Gardens and outside a Bayswater Waitrose. Sentencing is delayed for psychological and probation reports.
London5 min readTrust 66 · Craft 95 · Hype 48
Policing · LondonMet Police expand shoplifting evidence platform to eight more London boroughs
The Metropolitan Police are extending a digital evidence platform to eight additional boroughs after a pilot in six areas saw the proportion of cases leading to cautions or charges rise from 7.3% to 29.4%. Retailers including Boots and Greggs can now upload footage and statements without delay.
London4 min readTrust 58 · Craft 95 · Hype 30- Policing · London
Met Police tech quadruples shoplifter prosecutions in Barnet and London
A new Metropolitan Police system has increased the proportion of shoplifting cases with a positive outcome from 7.3% to 29.4%. Barnet retailers will join the scheme on 3 August 2026, allowing faster evidence submission and arrests.
London5 min readTrust 55 · Craft 50 · Hype 65