By SCM Staff Writer I Monday, Nov.10, 2025
LONDON, UK – MET POLICE have arrested more than 140 suspected crooks in a dramatic week-long crackdown on scum plaguing London’s West End.
The huge operation, codenamed Operation Baselife, saw over 100 extra officers flood crime hotspots to target phone thieves, shoplifters, and other louts causing anti-social mayhem.
It’s part of a massive push by the Met to take back the streets as the capital gears up for the busy Christmas period.
PERV’S COFFEE SHOP SHAME
Among the disgraceful arrests was a prolific upskirter who was caught covertly filming women’s bottoms as they queued for the toilet in a Soho coffee shop.
Cops seized the sicko’s phone and discovered a huge number of similar videos taken all over London.
In another dramatic moment, undercover officers swooped on a pair of phone thieves who were operating at the ice rink in Leicester Square.
The villains were nicked and several stolen phones were recovered, with one reunited with its delighted owner.
And two men driving a stolen Nissan were stung by specialist “interceptor” police in Paddington—a move that safely punctured the car’s tyres, preventing a high-speed chase. They were arrested for theft and drug dealing.
‘WE’RE DOUBLING DOWN’
Superintendent Natasha Evans, who led the operation, hailed the success, saying the intelligence-led approach is working.
She said: “This operation shows that targeting prolific offenders in crime hotspots works. We’re solving twice as many shoplifting cases and taking hundreds of offenders off the streets.
“We’re doubling down before Christmas. Local officers, specialist teams and tech such as Live Facial Recognition will focus on the areas with the most crime to keep driving numbers down.”
The Met is reporting huge crime reductions in the West End since April, including:
Knife crime down by 22.3 per cent
Theft from a person down 23.7 per cent
Personal robbery down 14.1 per cent
The force says it is now arresting around 1,000 more criminals every month across London compared to last year.
