The security team at The Mercury Shopping Centre in Romford received the Security Team of the Year award at the Sceptre Awards 2019, for outstanding and excellent teamwork tackling anti-social behaviour, using a policy of zero tolerance.
The team is outsourced by a company called Axis, a leading provider of bespoke security services around London.
Spencer Hawken, the Mercury centre manager, said: "As knife crime moves east from London into our quiet suburb, we need to be vigilantly creating a safe environment."
The security team are also visibly active in the community, helping to run a quarterly gaming league for teenagers in the area, which Mr Hawken thinks makes them more approachable and less likely to clash with youths.
From 2018 to 2019, crime in Romford dropped by 19per cent; with the number of assaults on site for the same period reducing significantly by 47pc.
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