London is hub for technology thieves in the UK

Figures obtained through an FOI request by comms firm ViaSat, show London is THE place to have your tech kit nicked

IT kit such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and even desktops are all fair game to London thieves, as they are twice as likely to be stolen in London compared to other UK regions.

This is according to security and comms firm Viasat, which carried out a series of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests with police forces across the UK.

Out of the total number of 290,651 thefts, 42 per cent of those were reported by the Met police force in London.

The nearest crime contender to London was Greater Manchester, which reported one in four thefts (24 per cent) involving technology. Merseyside reported 15 per cent, less than the national average.

Chris McIntosh, chief executive of ViaSat UK, said: "As we live more and more of our lives electronically and online, so the amount of sensitive information held on electronic devices is increasing exponentially.

"From bank account details to health information and even personal secrets, our pictures, emails, texts and files can reveal a huge amount about us. As a result, having such a device stolen isn't simply a loss in itself: it increasingly opens up the potential of much worse to follow. The simple fact is that, in London, you are twice as likely to have this information stolen from you as in the rest of the country."

But individuals are more at risk than enterprises, according to the data. Just six per cent of thefts were reported by public and private sector organisations.

McIntosh added: "There are several reasons why London may have reported such a high rate of theft of electronic goods. Firstly, as the wealthiest and most populous area of the country, there will be far more opportunities to take these items. Second, the nature of people's work and travel within the city means that they will both be carrying computers, tablets or smartphones more often and also be more at risk of theft when they do so."