London arson and criminal damage offences fall 3.7%

Metropolitan Police figures reveal that 4,324 offences involving arson and criminal damage were recorded throughout London in September 2026. Newham borough registered the largest quantity of these incidents, with 189 recorded offences. Westminster followed closely with 186, and Croydon reported 185 incidents for the same month.

The data highlights variations in offence numbers across different boroughs. Lambeth and Tower Hamlets each recorded 176 offences, while Greenwich had 173 and Hillingdon reported 168. Brent recorded 152 offences, and Barnet saw 151 incidents in September 2026. At the lower end of the scale, Kingston upon Thames recorded 65 offences, the lowest total among the boroughs detailed in the data. Richmond upon Thames had 66 offences, with Sutton and Harrow both recording 88, alongside Merton.

Highest offence rate recorded in Westminster

When considering the rate of offences per 1,000 residents, Westminster recorded the highest figure at 0.7. Several other boroughs, including Camden, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Kensington and Chelsea, and Tower Hamlets, reported a rate of 0.6 offences per 1,000 people. Newham, despite having the highest overall number of incidents, recorded a rate of 0.5 per 1,000 residents.

Overall decrease in offences

Looking at the longer-term trend, Metropolitan Police data indicates a decrease in offences within the arson and criminal damage category. Over the 12 months concluding in September 2026, there was a 3.7 per cent reduction in these offences when compared to the preceding 12-month period ending September 2025.

Notable incidents raise community concerns

Recent incidents have drawn attention to arson and criminal damage. In August 2025, two teenagers received 10-year jail sentences for an arson attack on an Indian restaurant in Gants Hill. Separately, four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community were destroyed in a fire on March 23. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, stated that this attack caused significant community concern, and investigations are ongoing. In another event on September 24 last year, a masked individual threw a petrol bomb at the entrance of a hotel housing migrants in Islington, an incident that security guards managed to extinguish before police arrived.