Harrow is the second ‘safest’ London borough in terms of robbery and theft from the person, according to the latest statistics.

The figures, covering October last year, showed that just 38 crimes of this nature in Harrow were reported to the police.

This is compared to 1019 in Camden – the highest in the capital – and 142 and 56 in neighbouring Barnet and Hillingdon, respectively.

Brent witnessed 262 cases of robbery and theft from the person, while Ealing saw 160. Only Sutton, with 31, had fewer instances than Harrow.

Victor Baron, managing director of Locksmith Service, which compiled a report on the findings from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), offered some advice on what to do in situations relating to personal theft and robbery.

He said: “You feel invincible and believe such crimes won’t happen to you, until they do.

“Being a victim of theft or robbery can make you feel very vulnerable and I have seen many victims of robbery and theft within their own homes, let alone on the streets.

“If you are confronted by someone trying to steal from you, it’s best to hand over your belongings willingly and not get into a fight with the attacker, as you don’t know what they’re capable of.

“If they are desperate enough to steal from you, they might be prepared to be violent.”

He also encouraged people to report crimes to the police and to cooperate as fully as possible, since this makes it more likely for the matter to be resolved.

The ONS noted how, across London, men are more likely to be victims of theft and robbery than women.

This was in contrast to the results of a survey carried out by Locksmith Service, which found that some 83 per cent of people saw women as more vulnerable to the crime.

It also found that almost six in ten people were “not optimistic” about the police’s ability to deal with these crimes, but almost 90 per cent of people would report it if they fell victim to them.