Islington, 1100 Police involved in raid

It's never dull around here. From early morning through to lunch time today batches of police cars four & five at a time, with their annoying screeching sirens could be seen rushing down the road past my flat. The sound filled the air as well from other main roads in the vicinity. Speculation was rife as to what was going on. People were talking about road closures and diversion of traffic causing gridlock along the Seven Sisters Road.

On the evening London news we heard that the police had sealed off the busy Blackstock Road and raided 19 cafés and other businesses. There were reports of 600 police all dressed in combat gear.

What an amazing sight, so many police, the picture from the BBC says it all. The Video playback is worth a review- Police say they have closed what was a 'one stop shop' for crime.

Surveillance showed evidence of drug dealing, the sale of stolen goods and a trade in forged documents, police said.

It is further reported that a further 500 officers led co-ordinated dawn raids at 37 addresses across London earlier yesterday. They made 35 arrests, including 21 individuals who had been identified as key players in the illegal industry.

Claimed as one of the Met's biggest operations with more than 1,100 officers involved in the operation. A well coordinated plan focusing on a network involved in heroin, cocaine, stolen goods and fraud. Police said that many of those arrested were of Algerian origin.

Finsbury Park area is not somewhere I like to go much but sometimes it's necessary. Never gave it a thought before that such activities were going on. Usually it's a case of passing through on the local 4 bus which is routed down Blackstock Road.