High-Speed Bike Chases and Rooftop Drones: Inside the Met’s Fight Against Phone Thieves
18th February 2026
In an operation room in Charing Cross Police Station, a dozen or so officers are hunched over terminals, relaying a constant stream of information and instructions to their colleagues on the ground.
Huge, high definition screens on the wall display live CCTV images from vantage points across London’s West End. A crackle of energy fills the room as word filters through of an incident on Vauxhall Bridge Road, close to Victoria.
A suspicious looking moped has been spotted and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras suggest it does not have valid insurance. When challenged by officers on the ground, the rider refuses to stop, making off at high speed.