Beware London's top tube stations for pickpokets

Simply Holiday Deals (now known as Travelscoop) has taken information and statistics from Transport For London, Metropolitan Police Service and British Transport Police, and The Telegraph to create an infographic reveals that King’s Cross St Pancras station is the worst spot for London tube station for petty thefts. Between January 2015 and February 2016, passengers reported 215 pick-pocketing crimes, mostly involving wallets, purses and mobile phones.

Other mainline terminals feature in the top list for crime include Victoria Station, Oxford Circus and Liverpool Street, further emphasising the need for travellers and local commuters to remain vigilant with their belongings when at these busy hubs. The average value of each crime is over £400 and women are more likely to be targeted than men. Interestingly, passengers are more likely to be pickpocketed on Friday, at the end of the working week.

The infographic also provides detailed instructions for beating pickpockets, including installing tracker applications, best practices for monitoring belongings and where to report a crime.

“We have seen British staycations grow in popularity due to many factors, including the weakening pound and terrorism threats throughout the world,” said Brian Jones, Managing Director of Simply Holiday Deals.

“As more Brits are staying at home and finding alternative holiday ideas, a London holiday is always top of mind for a city break, as a world-class city. We want everyone to be safe, regardless of whether they’re getting away for a long weekend or are one of the 8 million plus Londoners living there. Not only did we want to publish the tube stops with the highest risk to increase awareness, but to provide tips to keep everyone safe.”

Air China recently ruffled feathers with some in-flight advice stating that precautions should be taken when visiting areas in London.