The council has announced a £300,000 initiative to “stamp out the illegal elements” around Ilford Town Centre.

Redbridge Council, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, has given the green light to a new multi-agency taskforce to crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour.

Coming into force in spring 2020, the 17-strong team of council enforcement officers and police will provide evening and late-night patrols, seven days a week in what is one of the borough’s crime hotspots.

Leader of the council Cllr Jas Athwal said: “Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour is a top priority for both the council and our residents. Investing in extra resources on the frontline of the fight against criminal behaviour, is absolutely the right thing for us to do as a council.

“Our new multi-agency team will be up and running from spring and will have greater powers to help stamp out the illegal elements in and around Ilford Town Centre.

“We want Ilford to be a place where people can come to enjoy a night out at the theatre, dinner with friends, and experience a buzzing social atmosphere, with all the amenities of a modern, vibrant town centre.”

Set-up through a £320k funding pot, the new team will target the town centre and surrounding areas to crack down on aggressive begging, street scammers, bogus traders, street drinkers and late night anti-social behaviour, council officials say.

The team will also be focused on Ilford Lane to help tackle prostitution and pop-up brothels in the area.

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