By John Dunne

Copyright metro

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The new head of a task force tackling crime in London’s West End has vowed to make the area the most ‘hostile’ place for criminals to operate in.

Commander Andy Featherstone is warning the phone snatchers, drug dealers and other lawbreakers circling the area for rich pickings from tourists, commuters and residents, that they will be targeted as part of an alliance between businesses, the mayor’s office, Westminster Council and the police to tackle crime.

London’s homicide rate – which includes manslaughter – is lower than the likes of New York, Berlin, Milan and Toronto, according to figures from Scotland Yard.

However, the West End is being targeted by violent offenders.

The force is using facial recognition technology and ‘boots on the ground’ policing to snare thieves and violent criminals.

Among the offences at the heart of the problem is phone thefts, with opportunist criminals, often on electric bikes, able to turn a £250 profit from half an hour by stealing a smartphone and selling to a ‘middleman’ to export.

Oxford Street and Regent Street are among those which have become crime hotspots for watch and phone thefts, with more undercover officers being dispatched to catch the thieves in the act.

Commander Featherstone told Metro: ‘Our aim is to make the West End the most hostile environment to operate anywhere.

Commander Andy Featherstone warned criminals ‘We will ruthlessly suppress your activities’ (Picture: John Dunne/Metro)

‘We want to make it the safest environment for tourists residents and workers. We are going to do that through a number of initiatives.

‘There will be more officers and more surveillance, the use of facial recognition technology is among the tools. We are working very closely with the business in the area, the London chamber of commerce and many other groups on this. They can provide much needed intelligence. Together we are very strong.’

He described how known criminal operators stalking the West End would be intercepted using technology, human intelligence and tip offs from people like private security in shops.

Many luxury stores also have facial recognition technology which could aid the Met, the commander said.

More broadly he revealed that with the public’s help, violent criminals could be disrupted in their activity by police investigating them over offences not directly related to their gang activity.

Commander Featherstone said: ‘These individuals are violent in the course of their criminal activity away from their homes. However they are probably violent at home as well. There may be a way in to get a warrant for a domestic abuse allegation.’

A scourge of phone thefts in recent years means the Met has taken up severe action to tackle thieves (Picture: Met Police)

Warning signs have been placed in Oxford Street by the British Transport Police informing passengers to be cautious against pickpockets and electronic device thieves (Picture: Anadolu)

He also said that traffic offences was another way that a gang member could be pulled up.

‘Traffic offences are useful because they are easy to prove,’ he said. ‘We could get a violent criminal on a traffic charge then they have no vehicle which is a disruption for them and unsettles them.

‘Convictions are not everything, if we can disrupt the criminal that can be valuable. A prosecution can take a long time and surveillance for a case can take months with no guarantee of a result. These disruption tactics work well and can put the criminal on the back foot.’

He said that the Met was using the Flying Squad, famous for taking down armed robbers, to target the leaders of organised crime groups as Scotland Yard works with other forces to tighten to put them under pressure.

Meanwhile uniformed officers would take the battle to the street drug dealers and the mid-tier crime gang operatives.

The signs say ‘Mind the grab’ and urge people to be careful when out and about (Picture: Anadolu)

London’s West End is a hotspot for tourists and criminals (Picture: Getty Images)

He has urged the public to give tips, even if they’re anonymous, to make the streets safer.

‘There are a number of ways to report useful information on individuals ruining the lives of locals,’ he said. ‘There is Crimestoppers and Met engage where people can pass on vital Information we will follow up.’

In a warning to criminals, he added: ‘We will ruthlessly suppress your activities.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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