London Crime Briefing
Significant incidents, hearings, outcomes and public-data changes across the capital.
Subject
London Crime News has published 21 stories involving City of London Police, from August 2026 to September 2026. Each one is scored for how well the original reporting stood up, and lists the reports it was written from.
James Gillingham has been jailed for five years and six months for leading a £1 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 60 victims. The gang used fake London office addresses and aliases from popular TV shows to deceive investors between June 2015 and October 2016.
James Gillingham has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison for an investment fraud scam that defrauded 74 investors of over £1 million. He operated through companies Choice Option and Blue Crest Capital Options, promising guaranteed returns through binary options trading.
The City of London Corporation is set to bear the full £633.8 million cost of the Salisbury Square development, which will house new courts and the City of London Police headquarters. The Government will pay only a peppercorn rent for the court facilities.
City of London Police are seeking Paul Langan, 58, who stole a mobile phone from a vulnerable man near Liverpool Street station. He pleaded guilty to the offence but failed to attend court for sentencing.
A Lime e-bike rider has been fined for careless cycling and permanently banned from the service after a video showed him weaving between pedestrians on Fleet Street to avoid a bus. He also made an offensive gesture to a pedestrian who challenged his behaviour.
A cyclist caught carrying a six-inch knife after being stopped for running a red light on Bishopsgate has pleaded guilty to multiple offences. Ridwan Abdilahi was detained following a struggle and faces sentencing at a later date.
City of London Police are appealing for public assistance to identify a man captured on CCTV following a stabbing incident in South Place. The victim was taken to hospital and later discharged.
Sofiane Belasri, 41, has received a two-year suspended sentence for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and attempting to bribe her with a vape near Liverpool Street station. The incident occurred on July 4, 2024, and Belasri was arrested at the scene.
Christopher Forrester was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison after stealing a £1,800 bike on Cheapside on 16 June 2026. Police pursued him with help from a bystander, and the stolen bike was returned to its owner. Forrester also breached a Criminal Behaviour Order.

A Hackney man has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for defrauding Breast Cancer Now of nearly £92,000. Tameem Choudhury altered bank details to redirect funds meant for the charity into his own account.
A journalist's camera was stolen from a Shoreditch pub, but the Metropolitan Police initially misdirected the victim to another force due to a system error. The Met has since apologised and stated that internal reviews and actions have been taken.

A man has been sent back to prison after pleading guilty to stealing approximately £72 worth of alcoholic drinks from a City of London shop. Staff identified him when he returned the next day, leading to his arrest by City of London Police and a recall to custody.

Two men have been sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison after violent robberies in the City of London left one victim stabbed twice and another kicked in the head. CCTV footage confirmed the attacks, which involved knives and the theft of watches worth around £400 each.

Metropolitan Police seized 2,367 illegal e-bikes in the year to 19 May 2026, the highest total of any UK force. New laws now let officers remove unregistered machines that can exceed 70 mph, linked to thefts, fires and fatal collisions across London.

A man was treated at the scene and taken to a major trauma centre after being stabbed in Islington on 13 August 2026. Police confirmed the victim has since been discharged, but no arrests have been made. Officers are appealing for information about the late-night attack.

A man was taken to hospital following a stabbing outside Third Space gym in Moorgate on 13 August 2026. Police cordoned off the area and are investigating, while the victim has since been discharged. Officers urge anyone with information to come forward.

A 39-year-old man was sentenced to prison after stealing a bicycle in Cheapside and fleeing from City of London Police officers. A member of the public assisted in his arrest. The bike was returned to its owner following the incident on 16 June.

Two men have been sentenced for a series of violent watch robberies in the City of London, where one victim was stabbed twice. A third suspect, Dogukan Aktas, remains at large in Switzerland with Interpol assisting in the search. Police vow to continue pursuing him.

PC Isaac Keown was dismissed without notice and barred from policing after sending body-worn camera footage of a domestic incident involving a vulnerable woman to his cousin, a Gloucestershire officer. The City of London Police misconduct panel found his actions deliberate and gross misconduct.
A practical guide to which police force handles incidents on London trains, the Underground, stations, buses and streets, including the BTP 61016 text route.
Where London residents and businesses should report fraud or cybercrime in 2026, what to tell a bank, how to preserve evidence and when an immediate police response is needed.
Significant incidents, hearings, outcomes and public-data changes across the capital.