Breakdown of lost property - with the ability to store personal data
Request ID: FOI-0066-2223 Date published: 11 May 2022
You asked
Hello!
Under the Freedom of Information Act - For the period April 2018 to March 2022, how many electronic devices capable of carrying personal data (i.e. smartphones, tablets, laptops, external storage/ USB drives) were handed into TfL lost property?
Could I have the following breakdowns inclusive in the report:
• By year
• By mode of transport
• By type of electronic device
Thanks in advance!
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0066-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 11th April 2022 asking for information about lost property found on TfL services.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“For the period April 2018 to March 2022, how many electronic devices capable of carrying personal data (i.e. smartphones, tablets, laptops, external storage/ USB drives) were handed into TfL lost property?
Could I have the following breakdowns inclusive in the report:
• By year • By mode of transport • By type of electronic device”.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. The tables below show all such items that have been handed in to TfL and processed at our Lost Property Office in each year since 2018/19:
2018/2019
Mobile Telephone
Tablet Computer
Laptop
External / USB Drives
London Buses
13,076
221
58
118
London Underground
7,644
187
100
150
TfL Rail
168
4
1
1
London Overground
263
16
7
1
Docklands Light Railway
321
14
0
1
Black Cab taxi
1,036
90
39
2
Victoria Coach Station
30
10
3
1
Emirates Air Line
4
0
1
0
Other
3
0
0
1
2019/2020
Mobile Telephone
Tablet Computer
Laptop
External / USB Drives
London Buses
11,951
206
74
98
London Underground
7,384
164
112
125
TfL Rail
211
13
4
2
London Overground
267
10
8
3
Docklands Light Railway
276
14
5
0
Black Cab taxi
898
65
52
0
Victoria Coach Station
34
5
1
2
Emirates Air Line
7
0
0
0
Other
6
0
0
0
2020/2021
Mobile Telephone
Tablet Computer
Laptop
External / USB Drives
London Buses
5,306
44
22
14
London Underground
1,950
54
24
18
TfL Rail
88
4
0
0
London Overground
88
3
1
1
Docklands Light Railway
89
3
2
0
Black Cab taxi
58
6
3
0
Victoria Coach Station
6
0
0
0
Emirates Air Line
2
0
0
0
Other
0
0
0
0
2021/2022
Mobile Telephone
Tablet Computer
Laptop
External / USB Drives
London Buses
10,679
125
65
42
London Underground
4,953
99
85
54
TfL Rail
182
5
2
1
London Overground
167
5
8
0
Docklands Light Railway
193
7
4
0
Black Cab taxi
345
29
32
1
Victoria Coach Station
8
1
0
0
Emirates Air Line
4
0
0
0
Other
3
0
1
0
Our Lost Property Office individually catalogues and securely stores all such items. Where the item has some form of identification we try to contact the owner to let them know that their property has been found. Any items with personal or sensitive data are securely destroyed after three months if not collected or sold. We securely remove any personal data from any such items prior to sale. Note that more general information about our Lost Property Office - including similar data to that requested - is published on our website here:
If this is not the information you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
