The police officer responsible for catching car thieves has said vehicle crime in Wanstead and Woodford is not a major problem and priorities lie elsewhere.

The Guardian is regularly contacted by readers who have had their cars stolen in Wanstead and Woodford, and Detective Inspector Graham Paisley insists the number of thefts are falling across the borough.

However, figures show an increase in thefts during the same period in three out of six wards in Wanstead and Woodford, with Church End in South Woodford the worst affected.

But DI Paisley believes the public would prefer police to concentrate limited resources on violent crime.

He said: "I can understand why members of the public phone up and report to you their car has been stolen, but theft of vehicles is on the decline.

"What would people rather have us investigate – someone who had their jaw broken in an attack or someone whose car was stolen and there is no trace of it?"

"Wanstead is not one of the problem areas – compared to other areas in the borough it is not a real issue."

Christine Brooks, 62, had three cars stolen from outside her home in Dangan Road in six months. The most recent was a Ford Fiesta on January 21.

She said: "It is unbelievable what this man is saying. Car crime should be a priority, it affects people as much as a burglary."

DI Paisley admitted that some reports of thefts would not even reach his team as Safer Neighbourhood Teams often decide whether an investigation was justified.

He said: "It comes down to priority.

"Where there is a lead, we actively pursue those leads. My resources are not infinite; I haven’t got hundreds of officers.

"But when there is no CCTV and no witnesses, there are only so many avenues we can go down."

The latest police figures show the number of vehicle thefts in Redbridge have fallen to 1116 in the 12 months up to February, compared to 1246 in the previous year.

DI Paisley said this is due to hotspots being targeted, but he could not provide figures on how many crimes had been solved.


He added the majority of car thieves are opportunists and the cars are usually dismantled and the parts sold.