The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has issued a word of caution to businesses operating in areas affected by ‘copycat criminal activity’, which has escalated since the first instance in Haringey on Saturday 6 August.
The MPS has said that while there is no intelligence of ‘specific targeting of identified business premises’, criminal activity is continuing to take place across a number of areas.
“You may notice an increase in the number of police officers in your area and this should not be cause for alarm,” it said.
The warning comes after a number of attacks last night on hospitality businesses in London and Birmingham, including an armed raid on The Ledbury in Notting Hill.
Pubs in particular are being urged to heed the advice of local police and use local Pubwatches as a source of information.
The MPS has also issued the following advice for businesses concerned with the spate of rioting, which is useful for those operating in other affected parts of the country, including Birmingham, Liverpool and Bristol:
1. Where possible retail premises should be suitably staffed with security guards
2. Ensure staff report any suspicious activity to security and/or police
3. Consider regular checks of the building and surrounding area
4. Identify areas that are vulnerable to forced entry
5. Make sure all service doors are kept locked and secure when not in use
6. Ensure your CCTV system fully operational
7. In case of an emergency is there a record of the names of keyholders who can be contacted
8. Consider removing high value goods from display windows overnight
9. Consider keeping as little cash as possible on the premises
10. Ensure that your premises are secure and if fitted your alarm systems are fully operational
11. In the event of a non-emergency, call the police on non-emergency number 101
12 In the event of an emergency, call the emergency number 999