News

452 burglaries on Waltham Forest businesses reported last year

The number compares to a total of 231 burglaries in 2021

Credit: Robert Kneschke via Canva

There were 452 reported burglaries on businesses in Waltham Forest last year, Metropolitan Police data has shown. 

The number compares to a total of 231 burglaries two years previously. 

Despite a slight decline in the overall number of businesses, the incidence of business burglaries has skyrocketed, posing significant challenges for the local business community. Alongside Waltham Forest, other boroughs such as Westminster, Richmond and Tower Hamlets have also seen substantial spikes, with burglary incidents nearly doubling.

The data exposes a 33% surge in business burglaries across London over the last three years.

Despite a slight decline in the overall number of businesses, the incidence of business burglaries has skyrocketed, posing significant challenges for the local business community. Alongside Waltham Forest, other boroughs such as Westminster, Richmond and Tower Hamlets have also seen substantial spikes, with burglary incidents in these boroughs nearly doubling.

However, amidst these troubling statistics, Ealing stands out as the only borough to successfully reduce the number of business burglaries, while Haringey and Harrow have managed to maintain relatively steady levels.

The news comes in the same week that two men were arrested and charged by police officers investigating a series of burglaries at banks and building societies in Waltham Forest and elsewhere.


This story is published by Waltham Forest Echo, Waltham Forest's free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.


Flying squad officers launched an investigation into seven overnight burglaries at banks and building societies between 10th January and 4th February. The branches were in Waltham Forest, Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire. On six occasions the suspects made off with a quantity of cash.

The affected banks in Waltham Forest were Barclays on Hoe Street in Walthamstow, and Nationwide on Chingford Mount Road.

Meanwhile, in November a Caribbean restaurant on Walthamstow High Street was subject to a “smash and grab” where thieves broke in overnight. Despite only taking off with a nearly empty till, the thieves made about £800 worth of damage to the store.

According to analysis by the Liberal Democrats, 81% of burglaries went unsolved by the Metropolitan Police in the year ending September 2023.

The Liberal Democrats worked out that this means an average of 145 burglaries went unsolved every day while only 3,529 resulted in a suspect being charged which is equivalent to 5% of cases.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Chingford & Woodford Green, Josh Hadley, said: “With the vast majority of burglaries still going unsolved in Waltham Forest, too many people feel unsafe in their own homes.

“Time and again, this Conservative Government has failed to deliver the absolute basics of stopping and solving crime. But enough is enough.”


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