A pilot scheme which gave Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham and Havering its own police analytical team, was “so successful” that it is being rolled out across the Met.

Borough commander, Jason Gwillim said the unit worked well because officers built up a data picture of local crimes and could deploy resources accordingly.

“The local analysts understand the area, they find patterns and trends unique to the area,” he said.

“They can find the links between different offences - which would previously be classed as separate incidents - and by working it out they can bring them to justice.

“We look at days, times and locations.

“For example, you can see that burglary tends to happen in the day and serious violence takes places around the night time economy and you can staff it accordingly.”

The analytical team meet with senior officers every month to identify emerging trends and plan for the future.

“It helps identify commonalities and the modus operandi of the way people commit crimes.”