There are fears “aggressive” police officers drafted into the area to tackle violence and gang-related crime could endanger community relations.

One woman said she had once seen the Metropolitan Police’s Territorial Support Group (TSG) – a specialised unit of experienced police officers used to tackle high levels of violence, riots and gang related activities – drive up and “jump on” two people.

There was visible concern when Waltham Forest’s Stop and Search group – a committee that scrutinises the Metropolitan Police – heard they had been posted to the borough.

Group chairman Sandra Da Costa said: “It worries me. They come in full of adrenaline with an aggressive manner. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They drive up, throw open their van doors and six of them jump on two people.

“People don’t understand that they’re not the local police officers. My personal opinion is I don’t like them, the situation gets blown up, it can break the whole [trust] situation down.”

It is not known how long the TSG will be in the area.

Ms Da Costa said she feared potential damage to the existing trust between the community and police officers.

The chairman asked Metropolitan Police representatives at the meeting why the task force had been placed in the borough.

She said she assumed that they would only come to an area if it had “a real problem”.

Inspector Marcus Walton, of the Metropolitan Police in Waltham Forest, explained there is a rota covering when the TSG is based across London.

He said: “TSG have improved over the years. They are not like they were 10 years ago. There is a rolling schedule on where they are posted to and they are tasked to specific areas.

“Some concerns are valid,. If I’m honest, they don’t put enough into the community relationship side of things.

“We are always applying for additional resources, sometimes we get them, sometimes we don’t. It was coming up to the routine time [for them to be posted to this borough].

“Yes, their presence leads to increased arrest rates, but they are generally more experienced officers with additional capacity.

“They are not something to fear.”