IF you travel on the Central Line, you may want to be careful as commuters are the most vulnerable targets for pickpockets.

Like the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian on Facebook

A Freedom of Information request has shown that out of the 3,926 thefts on the Underground between January 2015 and January 2016, 632 (16.1 per cent) were on the Central Line.

While the line’s most targeted station was Oxford Circus (195 thefts), east London stops used by people in Redbridge and Waltham Forest also proved to be pickpocket hotspots.

Stratford and Liverpool Street were the Tube network’s joint fourth most pickpocketed station (107 thefts), followed by Bank (99 thefts) and Mile End (52 thefts).

The total cost of the phones, laptops and other things stolen on the Underground was £1.47 million, an average of £426.85 per theft.

Young people aged between 25 and 31 were the most targeted group (23 per cent).

London Assembly Member for Havering and Redbridge Cllr Keith Prince said the data was “very concerning”.

He said: “While our residents might not be falling victim to theft in their own borough, they are vulnerable when travelling through other stations on their way home.”

“It doesn’t surprise me young people are the biggest targets because they are usually the ones with the phones and laptops people most want to steal.

“My advice would be not to blatantly use cutting edge technology while you’re on the Tube, because it makes you so much more of a target.”

The Redbridge councillor added that he believes the solution to tackling pickpocketing on the Underground is a merge of the Met Police and British Transport Police forces.

He said: “It makes absolutely no sense that we have three separate police forces working in London.

“They need to work closer together, and although we’ve seen the start of this with the introduction of the Night Tube, we want a real merge of the two.

“I will be writing to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime about this to see what we can do to help solve the problem.”

British Transport Police's chief superintendent Martin Fry said:

"BTP is a specialist force, with resources and knowledge dedicated solely to the policing of the nation’s railways. 

"Every day, we police the journeys of more than six million passengers and our aim is to get commuters home safe, secure and on time.

"We have always and continue to work closely with the Met Police, Transport for London and other partners in London, sharing expertise and resources wherever needed.

"We have both plain clothed theft squad officers and intelligence-led patrols by uniformed officers, dedicated to preventing theft on the Underground."

Met Police have been contacted for comment.