Category: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

The Metropolitan Police has announced plans to use innovative facial recognition technology to identify London’s most prolific retail offenders.

Retail crime is responsible for the loss of an estimated £1.9 billion in revenue in London each year. Alongside financial harm, more than 1,000 cases of abuse and violence against staff are reported annually.

With one in ten Londoners working in retail, it’s a crime type that impacts people across the city.

Over the last few months, we’ve been working closely with the retail sector to understand, more than ever before, the challenges they face.

On Wednesday, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley met with retail leaders to discuss how, together, we can increase the safety of frontline staff and reduce prolific offending.

He updated on a new joint protocol that sees the police joining forces with retailers to focus our combined efforts on targeting those causing the most harm.

At the end of September, the Met wrote to 12 leading London retailers asking them to send CCTV images of their top 30 prolific, but unidentified, offenders.

A specialist team is now using facial recognition technology that maps facial features from the CCTV stills against images in our custody image database at a rapid pace, with any matches revealed in around 60 seconds.

Within a matter of days, 149 suspects had been identified from 302 CCTV stills. Some are wanted for more than one offence. Local officers will now work with the stores to build a case and track the suspects down.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “We’re working with shops across the capital to target and track down criminals in a way we never have before.

“We’re pushing the boundaries and using innovation and technology to rapidly identify criminals.

“The results we’ve seen so far are game-changing. The use of facial recognition in this way could revolutionise how we investigate and solve crime.

“What’s most powerful is what we’ve learned about those involved in this offending so far. It’s clear the majority are career criminals involved in serious crime. This data and information helps us focus our efforts in an even more precise way than we originally anticipated.

“Through this tactic we’re not only improving how we protect shops and support the business community, we’re stepping further forward in identifying and tracking down serious criminals and protecting all of London’s communities.

“The scale of business crime in London is huge. To be successful we have to be precise in our approach and this is a really promising step forward.”

This initiative is the latest example of how we’re taking a precise and technology-led approach to tackling the crimes that are impacting on communities.

Earlier this year, we announced a targeted approach to tracking the most dangerous and predatory offenders of violence against women and girls (VAWG). The scale of VAWG offences across London means to be successful, we have to be precise.

This showed us the top 100 offenders in this category were responsible for a disproportionate amount of VAWG offences across the capital. It also revealed these key suspects had links to other offending including weapons possession and street violence.

This approach has allowed us to target our tactics against those causing the most harm to Londoners. We’re now exploring how we apply the principles behind this not just against VAWG and retail crime, but against all sorts of crime types.

Just as our VAWG work found that people suspected of one crime are very often already linked to other offences, our initial work dealing with retail criminals has shown the same.

Some of those suspected of the most repeat and sustained offending, have links to much wider, serious crime in London.

Every suspect that matched on our system has previously been arrested and taken into custody for crimes, including drug possession and supply, sexual offences, burglary, violence, firearms possession and more.

The facial recognition initiative is just one part of our wider approach to supporting businesses across the capital.

We’ve simplified how they can send us evidence of offending (including CCTV, images and statements), enabling offers to take quicker and more effective action.

New targeted operations are also being delivered to stem the onward sale of stolen goods and over the coming months we’ll be speaking to local business across London to understand what more we can do.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man who raped two teenagers in south-west London has been jailed following an investigation by Met detectives.

Silvestar Toshev, 27 (07.04.96), of no fixed address, was jailed for 18 years at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, 17 October.

He was previously found guilty of two counts of rape at the same court on Tuesday, 8 August.

The court heard on 19 January 2023 a 16-year-old girl was raped by a man who approached her on a bus in Morden. The attack happened in a remote area near to Stonecot Hill.

CCTV was recovered by detectives and resulted in Toshev being identified as a suspect.

Further enquiries linked him to another rape involving a 17-year-old girl that had occurred in Claremont Gardens in Surbiton on 21 September 2021.

On this occasion, the victim was standing near to a bus stop when she was approached by Toshev who took her to a remote area before attacking her.

Detectives also used DNA evidence to link him to the offences.

Detective Sergeant Andy Walker, from the local policing team in south-west London, said: “This man is a dangerous predator who targeted teenage girls in public. I am pleased that our investigation has resulted in him receiving a significant custodial sentence.

“I would like to thank the victims for the support they have shown throughout this investigation. It has been an incredibly difficult and upsetting experience for them and I hope this outcome brings them some closure.

“Tackling sexual offences and violence against women is a priority for the Met. I hope this case demonstrates that we take allegations seriously and will take action to remove dangerous men from the streets of London.”

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Six people have been charged following an extensive investigation into a serious assault in Vauxhall.

All six will appear at the Inner London Crown Court in early November charged with grievous bodily harm.

Those charged are:

Djabrail Haptakaev, 20 (22.10.22) of Perham Road, London, W14

Lewis Hysa, 21 (02.03.02) of New York House, Stadium Way, Wembley.

Joni Spahiu, 21 (03.03.02) of Oakley House, 10 Electric Boulevard, SW11

Alkomber Kojtasi, 23 (19.03.00) of Winchester Street, Ealing, W3

Arlinddo Kojtasi, 22 (11.09.01) of Winchester Street, Ealing, W3 8PF

Mickyas Oumer, 22 (09.08.01) of Bath Court, Bath Street, EC1

The charges follow a call to police, shortly before 04:15hrs on Sunday, 1 October, to Albert Embankment, on the south side of the river near to Vauxhall Bridge,

A man was reported to have been assaulted with a metal pole.

A 24-year-old man was taken to hospital suffering a serious head injury. He remains in a life-threatening condition in hospital.

His family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

The charges follow an investigation by detectives from the Central South Command Unit.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

We have charged 26 people after a protest outside a hotel in central London.

Officers responded to the protest on the morning of Tuesday, 17 October and imposed conditions to prevent disruption to the public.

The protestors were asked to move from the road onto the pavement, which would enable them to continue with their demonstration without breaching the conditions.

The following people were charged with obstructing the highway and were bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 15 November:

Miranda Splitt, (23.05.60), of Newcastle upon Tyne
Diana Jellinek (16.02.60), of Somerset

The following people were charged with obstructing the highway and were bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 17 November:

Daniel Oldfield (06.05.88), of Lewisham
Harry Holmes, (08.07.98), of Waltham Forest
Rodrick Cobley, (31.07.76), of Waltham Forest

The following people were charged with failing to comply with a condition imposed under Section 14 of the Public Order Act. They were bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 15 November:

Bas Sprurjt, (04.06.96), of Somerset
Craig Vaz, (06.05.63), of Somerset
Leon Edwards, (20.02.66), of Dorset
Lars Joseph Christofer Kebbon, (06.08.04), of Dorset
Greta Thunberg, (03.01.03), of Dorset
Joshua Unwin, (11.01.92), of Hitchin
Richard Baxter, (11.07.61), of Bristol
Peter Joseph Barker, (15.06.64), of Powys
Emma Follett, (12.10.82), of Godalming
Jeff Michael Rice, (28.01.67), of Nottinghamshire
Audley Burnett, (19.01.56), of Carmarthenshire

The following people were charged with failing to comply with a condition imposed under Section 14 of the Public Order Act. They were bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 20 November:

Marcus Hugh Bailie, (16.02.55), of Caerphilly
Scott Henry, (04.09.68), of Brighton
Heather Inman, (10.11.77), of Haringey
Katie Burrell, (05.10.72), of Lambeth
Oliver Etchells, (02.07.95), of Lewisham
Thomas Plessius, (07.10.04), of no fixed address
Nancy Clarke, (28.05.63), of Alton

Samantha Lucas, (17.09.82), of Oxfordshire, was also charged with failing to comply with a condition imposed under Section 14 of the Public Order Act. She was bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 29 November.

Julie Hermann, (28.02.84), of Lambeth, was also charged with failing to comply with a condition imposed under Section 14 of the Public Order Act. She was bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 17 November.

Sandra McGee, (09.08.83), of Nisbet in Scotland, was also charged with failing to comply with a condition imposed under Section 14 of the Public Order Act. She was bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 22 November.

One woman, who was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, has been bailed pending further enquiries.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

An investigation is ongoing following a fail to stop collision in Newham that has left a teenage boy in a life-threatening condition.

Police were called at 14:21hrs on Tuesday, 17 October to a collision involving a car and a pedestrian in Prince Regent Lane E13.

A 15-year-old boy was found and was taken to hospital, where he remains in a life-threatening condition. His next of kin are aware.

The driver of the car did not stop at the scene. The car is believed to be a white Toyota Prius and police are working to trace it.

Road closures are in place.

Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing; any witnesses or those with information or material that could help police should call 101 ref CAD 4150/17 Oct.

Alternatively post via X, or to remain 100% anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Six men who lured a teenager to his death in a Bromley park have been convicted after CCTV and forensics linked them to the crime.

Despite charges against all six men being dropped in 2018, detectives never gave up working on the case in order to ensure justice for 17-year-old Michael Jonas and his family.

They were all found guilty of murder following a trial at Southwark Crown Court and will be sentenced on Monday, 20 November:

Nyron Jean Baptiste, 22 (27.07.01) of Queen Adelaide Road, Penge

Divon Henry-Campbell, 23 (14.07.00) of Fayland Avenue, Streatham

Jason Smith, 20 (17.05.03) of Bow Avenue Lane, Dartford

Jamie Marshall, 22 (13.07.01) of Burham Close, Penge

Ryan Girense Brown, 21 (05.08.02) of Sydenham Road, Croydon

Sarraviho Smith, 23 (09.11.99) of Grove Hill Road, Camberwell

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Webb, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Michael was just 17 when he was fatally stabbed in a violent, pre-planned attack. His family remain devastated by his loss and will never come to terms with what happened that night.

“This has been a long and complex investigation but we were determined to keep fighting for justice and we are pleased these men will now be off the streets of London and unable to cause further harm.”

On 2 November 2017, police were called to a report of a man injured in Betts Park, Bromley.

Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and found Michael with multiple stab injuries. Despite their efforts, he died at the scene.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as stab wounds to the chest.

Detectives immediately began an investigation which including gathering a significant amount of CCTV from the park and surrounding areas.

This revealed that at around 19:00hrs, Michael had been approached by five of the group as he walked down nearby Anerley Road, before all walking into the park together.

At 19:12hrs, John-Baptiste was captured arriving at the scene – phone analysis later showed he had been called to come to the area by Henry-Campbell.

Just three minutes later, by 19:15hrs, all of the defendants were seen fleeing the park on bicycles. The fatal attack had taken no more than 120 seconds.

DNA from bloodstains at the scene was also found to be one billion times more likely to be from Jean-Baptiste than from an unknown and unrelated individual.

None of the group ever admitted responsibility or provided any reason for their actions however the court heard that they had believed Michael was a ‘snitch’ and so carried out their fatal attack.

By early December 2017, all six defendants had been arrested and charged.

The case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) early the following year, but officers were determined to get justice for Michael and continued to gather further evidence.

In October 2022, CPS agreed to reinstate the original charges and the men were remanded until trial.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

There is a robust policing plan in place for the Euro 2024 qualifier between England and Italy at Wembley this evening, building on our shared experience with trusted partners in policing these high profile matches, and to ensure those attending the match can enjoy the sporting occasion.

Given the events yesterday in Brussels, those attending the match can be reassured that they will see a highly visible policing presence. Officers are there to ensure the event passes off safely and provide reassurance to those attending.

Superintendent Gerry Parker, match commander for tonight’s game, said:

“We have been working with our partners, including the FA, in the weeks leading up to this match to ensure those attending the Wembley area enjoy this match.

“Our officers are experienced in dealing with large-scale public order events, and a flexible plan is in place to reduce the likelihood of crime and disorder, and provide a timely response to any emerging incidents.

“Please ensure you arrive in good time for the match and remain vigilant throughout; if you see anything suspicious then flag it an officer or one of the match stewards immediately so the necessary action can be taken.”

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives investigating a fatal stabbing in Hounslow have charged two men.

Khalfani Sinclar, 22 (04.08.01), of Ashford in Surrey, and Phillip Jones, 47 (18.08.76), of Feltham were charged on Monday, 16 October with murder.

They will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 17 October.

An investigation was launched after police were called at approximately 22:45hrs on Friday, 13 October to reports of a stabbing in Parkside Road, TW3.

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended but despite their efforts he died at the scene. He has since been identified as 43-year-old Naython Muir from Hounslow.

His next of kin have been informed and continue to be supported by officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

A post-mortem examination has now established cause of death as a stab wound.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A £5,000 reward is being offered as detectives hunt a driver who hit a mother, leaving her with life-changing injuries and unable to fully care for her child.

The reward is being offered by the independent charity Crimestoppers for any information they receive that leads to the conviction of the person responsible for a hit and run in Hounslow.

Rajdeep Kaur, aged 37, was pushing her daughter, who was aged 13 months, in a pram on 3 February at about 12:25hrs on North Hyde Lane.

As she crossed North Hyde Lane, a silver BMW overtook the line of traffic in the wrong direction, hitting her and narrowly missing the pram. She was thrown several feet in the air, leaving her with life threatening injuries.

The pram remained in the road with the potential of being struck by further vehicles.

The BMW did not stop at the scene and the driver has not come forward.

Emergency services were called and Mrs Kaur was taken to hospital with leg and pelvis injuries. Her daughter was luckily unhurt.

Mrs Kaur remained in hospital for several months. Miraculously, she survived but has extremely limited mobility and is now unable to care independently for her daughter. She is now able to walk a few steps with the aid of a walking frame, but will never make a full recovery from her injuries.

Witnesses to the incident captured the number plates of the car, but these were later found to be cloned. The car was a BMW X5.

Detective Constable Davina Nash, who has been leading the investigation, said: “This is a very distressing case. Mrs Kaur thankfully survived but has sustained injuries that will change her life forever. It was only fortunate that her 13 month daughter was not hurt too.

“Crimestoppers – who are independent of the police – are now offering a reward for information and we are hopeful this will encourage someone to come forward.

“We believe the driver of the BMW is local to the Hounslow area and so someone will know who he or she is. If you have information about the driver or anything else that could secure justice for the victim, the charity Crimestoppers guarantee you will stay completely anonymous. They are available on the phone or via their website 24/7, 365 days a year.”

To be eligible for the reward or to ensure you stay completely anonymous, please contact Crimestoppers anonymously online at the Crimestoppers website (Crimestoppers-uk.org) or call the charity’s UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111.

Alexa Loukas, London Regional Manager at charity Crimestoppers, said: “Our thoughts are very much with Mrs Kaur, a mother whose life will never be the same again due to her injuries.

“You may have heard something about the vehicle or driver involved but for whatever reason you haven’t yet shared what you know. We’re appealing directly to members of the community across Hounslow.

“If you have any information about this tragedy you can speak up and tell our charity what you know. Lots of people mistakenly think we are part of the police. We are completely independent and will never judge or ask for any of your personal details.

“What you tell us could help find some kind of justice for Mrs Kaur and her family and help make our streets safer for everyone.”

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

– Apple, Samsung and Google among leading mobile phone manufacturers represented in milestone meeting at City Hall;

– Meeting will focus on how the police, City Hall and the mobile phone industry can work better together to find the most effective deterrent to mobile phone crime;

– Action comes as figures show criminal demand for the latest devices continues to rise nationally, with 157 mobile phones stolen every day in London in the last year*;

– Improving the location tracing of stolen mobile phones so the cycle of handling stolen goods can be broken, more devices can be recovered and offenders brought to justice;

– Taking action that could stop stolen mobile phones being able to be re-registered for services provided by Apple, Google Play, Samsung and other online stores;

– Exploring steps that could prevent stolen devices being used outside the UK.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Sir Mark Rowley, will today (Tuesday, 17 October) convene a landmark meeting with world-leading mobile phone companies to ask them to commit to designing out mobile phone robbery.

Apple, Samsung and Google are just some of the leading mobile manufacturers that will be represented in the milestone meeting at City Hall which will include representatives from major UK mobile phone network providers.

The meeting will focus on how the police, City Hall and the mobile phone industry can work better together to find the most effective deterrent and ultimately significantly reduce mobile phone robberies in London and beyond.

It follows a call to action from the Mayor of London and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley in August for the mobile phone industry to play their part and “deliver bold and innovative technological solutions” to help tackle the rising number of robberies and thefts in the capital.¹

Figures show criminal demand for the latest devices continues to rise. In the last 12 months there has been a 28 per cent increase in mobile phone robbery in London and a 22% increase in theft of mobile phones. This represents a total of 57,174 mobile phones reported stolen and equates to an average of 157 mobile phones stolen every day in London.²

The Met continues its dedicated work to pursue perpetrators and target mobile phone crime hotspots. However, the Mayor and the Commissioner agree there is more that can be done to prevent mobile phone theft by making it harder for stolen phones to be re-used and registered for services not just on phone networks but also for services provided by Apple, Google Play, Samsung and other online stores.

Existing security measures, including pin, fingerprint and facial ID, are not deterring criminals from stealing mobile phones which remain in high demand and are being sold and re-used in a lucrative underground criminal market. And the release of new more expensive mobile phones is having an impact on the increase in robberies and thefts in London and across the UK.

A number of options will be discussed by leading industry, technological and policing experts at today’s meeting, including:

Today’s meeting will also focus on the evolving nature of mobile phone theft – ask for commitments to work to look at options that will make it substantially harder for phones to be broken up for parts abroad. It will also seek to counter the growing menace of identity fraud whereby criminals steal the digital identity of victims and use it to access electronic payment apps, bank accounts and other personal information.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Today we’ve convened leading representatives from the mobile phone industry to design out the theft and robbery of mobile phones and ultimately make London safer for everyone.

“This meeting is an important milestone to developing a practical and long-term solution to ending the menace of mobile phone crime which we know is driving violence and criminality in our communities – not just in London but across the UK.

“Right now, it is far too easy and profitable for criminals to repurpose and sell on stolen phones. That must change and is why, alongside strengthening neighbourhood policing and record investment in supporting the police to go after the worst offenders, the Commissioner and I are now working closely with mobile phone industry to develop innovative and technological solutions that make a stolen phone far less desirable and usable by thieves.”

Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said: “Current mobile phone operating systems make it far too easy for criminals to steal devices, re-register them, and sell them on. This fuels a highly lucrative and profitable criminal market across the capital, and is central to the rise in thefts, robbery and violent offending we’ve seen over the last two years.

“We remain focused on driving down violence in all its forms. We’re rebuilding neighbourhood policing, using data and tech to target hotspots and arresting criminals responsible for brazenly stealing phones from the hands of Londoners every day. Just this weekend we made multiple arrests and seized more than 70 stolen phones at a shop selling them onwards.

“But until we design out the ability for phones to be used in the way they currently are, we will be stuck in a vicious circle. Key mobile phone players have a huge part to play in crushing this criminal market, and this meeting is a really important step forward, but we have to move quickly. Over the last six months more than 26,000 phones have been stolen from Londoners. We can’t wait another six months to take action.”

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden, said: “Today is a really important opportunity for real collaboration between the police, mobile phone companies and the mobile phone manufacturers in our efforts to tackle smartphone robbery.

“Using the latest technical advances, we want to establish universal security measures that are not just an opt-in, but come as standard and are fail-safe – making smartphone crime far less lucrative for potential offenders.

“These crimes often cause untold psychological, physical and financial harms to phone owners. But with the support of the industry giants we can start to design-out and prevent these robberies across the capital and beyond.”

Aleyne Johnson, Director of Government and External Relations at Samsung UK, said: “Samsung has been working closely with the Mayor’s Office, the Met Police and authorities in London on the issue of mobile phone theft and related crimes. We are joining the Mayoral roundtable and look forward to discussing existing and potential new solutions to help combat this complex issue and improve the safety of mobile phone users. We encourage all of our customers to protect their device by setting up the security and privacy features, like ‘lock screen’, to use the latest security updates and please go to: What to do if your Samsung phone is lost or stolen & How to find it | Samsung UKfor help in the event your device is lost or stolen.”

Hamish MacLeod, Chief Executive Mobile UK said: “Mobile Operators and the Device and Operating System manufacturers have several capabilities and measures to deter the theft of mobile phones, including the provision of capabilities which customers can enable, allowing them to track and disable mobile handsets. We welcome today’s roundtable to discuss with the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police further actions, including prioritising mobile theft and prosecutions to deter and reduce these crimes.”

Claire Waxman OBE, London’s Independent Victims’ Commissioner, said:“These days so much of Londoners’ lives are on their mobile smartphone – family photos, online banking, diaries, travelcards, wallet and emails. So while every robbery or theft is traumatic, the impact of the loss of a phone can go far beyond the loss of a personal possession containing so much that cannot be replaced. Carrying a phone is also felt by many as a security blanket – a way of contacting loved ones, emergency services or providing maps and information to help you navigate the city. The fear of smartphone robbery can severely impact how people go about their daily lives.

“That’s why I welcome today’s landmark meeting between the Mayor, the Met Commissioner and the mobile phone industry and the proactive and intelligent approach they are leading to tackling the problem. Mobile phone crime is a menace and we need to seize this unique opportunity to develop a long-term and innovative deterrent to protect Londoners.”

Notes to editors:

Full list of companies represented in City Hall meeting:

Mobile phone manufacturers:

Apple

Samsung

Google

Nokia

Networks:

BT/EE

O2/Virgin Media

Vodafone

Three

Mobile UK is the trade association for the UK’s mobile network operators – EE, Virgin Media O2, Three and Vodafone.

¹Mayor of London and Met Commissioner call on mobile phone industry to play their part in reducing robberies https://www.london.gov.uk/media-centre/mayors-press-release/mayor-of-london-and-met-commissioner-call-on-mobile-phone-industry-to-play-their-part-in-reducing-robberies

²Figure of 57,174 mobile phones reported stolen relates to total sum of theft and robbery offences between Sept 2022-August 2024