Law breakers watch out!

Police are responding to a post-Christmas rise in violent attacks in the south of the borough that saw two serious stabbings in a Leyton estate in just ten days.

The crack unit being used in Operation Challenger has been patrolling identified trouble hotspots for the past two weeks using high visibility policing to combat the criminals.

Borough Commander George Clarke said thugs would be cornered.

He said: "Challenger is an intelligence-led operation to ensure that robbers have nowhere left to operate in Waltham Forest.

"We are maximizing our own resources and Challenger brings with it others and will give us an extra boost and deliver good results as it has in other boroughs.

"I am grateful for the assistance of our support units and for all the work undertaken by the officers and staff of Waltham Forest in assisting this Met-wide initiative."

On Monday, in what police described as a despicable attack, a pensioner was beaten in his own home in Leyton and threatened with a needle that was claimed to be infected with aids. The attackers left with £200 cash.

And on the Beaumont Estate in Leyton, a vicious robbery of a 30-year-old man by a gang left him with serious stab wounds, earlier this month.

Leyton councillor Barry Smith described the Leyton estate assault as "disgusting and cowardly". The cabinet member for community safety said that violent crime had increased by around 25 per cent over the last couple of months but the area was still relatively safe.

He said: "This is not Baghdad. Although before Christmas there was a drop in street crime we got a blip afterwards. This is something we normally see. We are trying to nip that in the bud.

"I get upset for the many people on the Beaumont Estate whose lives from time to time are blighted by this appalling behaviour by the minority.

"The bottom line is that over the past two years there have been enormous successes in driving down crime."