Camden has topped a London-wide count of moped-related crimes, figures released today show.

According to the numbers – obtained from the Mayor’s office by Lib-Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pigeon – the borough saw 4,147 scooter-mounted offences between January and September this year.

This compares to 1,162 in Haringey, 2,305 in Westminster, 3,587 in Islington and 84 in Barnet over the same period. In June alone Camden saw 749 incidents.

Commenting, Caroline Pidgeon said: “Crimes involving mopeds are rapidly becoming the biggest scourge in many parts of the capital. Finding new tactics to prevent and stop these crimes on our streets is essential.

“We need to ensure these figures are quickly reversed, to ensure our streets are safer for both residents and the visitors and tourists that come to Camden, Islington and Westminster.”

Across London, there were 17,606 recorded offences involving a scooter or moped.

At a meeting in Belsize Park last month Camden police boss Catherine Roper told residents: “We are suffering from this rise. There is a huge amount of productivity going on [in response] but clearly we are not doing enough to curb things.”

A Met spokeswoman said: “Overall, every borough is mobilised to tackle offenders using local knowledge to tailor the policing required for their area, which may include patrol daily in cars and on motorcycles and bicycles, Automatic Number Plate Reader deployments, detectives conducting investigations and operations, intelligence led action on individuals, and DNA capture.

“There is also a focus on safety, deterrence and intervention. Officers have adopted both overt and covert methods to identify those people responsible, and, through a mix of judicial processes and education, reduce repeat offending whilst encouraging diversion through youth engagement,” she added.

The spokeswoman went on to advise the public to be aware of their surroundings at all times and protect their personal property. She also urged people to consider using a hands-free device to make a call and not to text or use apps by the roadside.

If you see any suspicious activity or have any information about who is committing these crimes call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”