Barnet police made 119 arrests and 689 stops-and-searches during a three-week crackdown on street crime.

Operation Ruby, which ran from March 10 to March 28, was designed to tackle a rise in burglary and street crime.

It had its biggest impact in Golders Green and Cricklewood, where one 16-year-old boy from Grahame Park was arrested and charged with four counts of robbery.

He cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Christopher Tormey, 19, of Antill Road, South Tottenham, was charged with burglary, along with two 17-year-old boys.

The three are being held in custody and are due to appear at Hendon Magistrates Court tomorrow.

Across the borough, burglary was reduced by 23 per cent compared to the previous three weeks, and by 14 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

Burnt Oak and Grahame Park, though, were unaffected by the operation and actually saw an increase in street crime over the same period.

Borough Commander Chief Superintendent Sue Akers said: "I think we can say we have been successful.

"We have seen a reversal of the trend in street crime, which was going up."