CCTV leads to the arrest of violent ‘steaming’ gang in Ilford

Redbridge Council’s CCTV Team is ensuring the safety of local communities by identifying and stopping violent criminals in their tracks.

In a recent incident, a CCTV officer's quick thinking and vigilance led to the arrest of five individuals involved in a violent incident at JD Sports, Ilford High Road. This same gang was linked to prior incidents, including an attempted vape shop theft in Ilford Town Centre and a previous incident at JD Sports.

During the incident, a member of the CCTV Team overheard a distress call from JD Sports regarding a large group engaged in gang steaming, a type of shoplifting where a group of criminals enter a store, threaten staff, and steal high-value items.

Live monitoring revealed a staff member restraining one individual while the remaining four suspects were acting aggressively. As the incident unfolded and escalated, the CCTV Team redirected cameras to cover the various escape routes. Live footage and descriptions of the suspects were provided to the Met Contact Centre (MetCC), which is responsible for receiving and managing emergency and non-emergency calls.

The CCTV Team kept the police updated whilst they deployed officers to the scene. In the meantime, the group continued to attack store staff and kick the outside shutters. After fleeing the scene, the police apprehended all five suspects thanks to real-time updates provided by the CCTV Team.  Two suspects were tracked to the Spice Hut restaurant in Barkingside; one was arrested on Ilford High Road, and the remaining two were located on a local bus route.

Following the incident, the police attended the CCTV Centre to collect the footage.

Cllr Khayer Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, said: "We want people to feel safe in our borough. That's why we’ve continued to invest in measures to make it a safer place, including our extensive CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera network.

"I’m pleased that the work and swift response of our CCTV Team and local police officers recently led to the arrest of a group of violent individuals in one of our town centres. We want residents and visitors to feel safe in our borough, and we will continue to work closely with our partners in the police to tackle those who commit crime and antisocial behaviour in our communities."

Superintendent Clare McCarthy, Head of Neighbourhood Policing in Redbridge, said: "The joint response to this incident is an excellent example of our great community safety partnership with the local council.

“The Council's CCTV Team played a vital role in providing real-time intelligence to our police officers on the ground, who then managed to track and arrest the suspects.

“Without the quick thinking of the CCTV Team and the fast response time of our officers, this gang could have fled the scene and targeted other retail premises in Ilford. I sincerely hope these arrests send a clear and unequivocal message to criminals who think they can commit crimes in our town centres with impunity: We will find them, arrest them, and put them before the courts."

The suspects were all bailed to return in connection with the incident.

The CCTV control room, with over 700 cameras across Redbridge, has proven effective, leading to more than 315 arrests in 2024. Ilford town centre now has 78 public space CCTV cameras, and the borough-wide network has grown to 763 cameras in the past year.

Every ward in Redbridge now has a dedicated Safer Neighbourhood Team. Please get in touch with your local police team, who can address antisocial behaviour and other crimes in your neighbourhood.”

Please always Call 999 in an emergency. If you’ve witnessed or been the victim of a crime that isn't an emergency, remember that your report can make a difference. Please report it via Met Police Report It. Your vigilance and cooperation are crucial in maintaining the safety of our community.