War on pickpockets in run-up to Games
Police today vowed to make London a "very uncomfortable place" for pickpockets in the run-up to the Olympics as they raided the base of seven Romanians.
Plain-clothes officers swooped in an early-morning raid on a semi-detached house in east London known to host criminals targeting the capital's transport system.
The raid, part of Project Spiderweb to tackle pick-pocketing, saw two men arrested for allegedly handling stolen goods and a sniffer dog search the house after police broke down the door.
Police believe seven Romanian pickpockets use the property near West Ham Park in Newham and say some have been caught on CCTV stealing from bus passengers.
The action came as a new campaign - Don't Give Them An Inch - warning commuters to beware of pickpockets was launched by the Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police and Transport for London. Thieves from around the world are expected to invade the transport system during the 2012 Games.
Police says they target wallets and smart phones, which are sold to foreign markets.
Chief Inspector Colin Carswell of the Met's Safer Transport Command, said: "We encounter thieves from all over the world and are determined to show them why it is not a good idea for them to come. If they do they will find themselves very quickly getting arrested."
