Police make arrests and find car filled with seven knives and stash of stolen property after 'initially refusing to attend report of nicked car'

POLICE found a stash of seven hunting knives and a host of suspected stolen items in a car after a dramatic foot and car pursuit - but only after private security guards insisted officers attend the scene.

An officer for private security firm My Local Bobby (MLB) saw two vehicles parked suspiciously close to each other with all doors open at the Palms Hotel off the A127 at Hornchurch on Wednesday, November 5, at just after 2pm.

The officer had seen the same vehicles driving very slowly in the area prior to this and suspected they may have been involved in a local burglary and one of them was found to be reported as stolen.

He called 999 to report the stolen vehicle's location and was advised that no one would immediately attend and the information would be passed to the local Safer Neighbourhoods Team, when they were next on duty, according to MLB CEO Dave McKelvey.

Mr McKelvey said: "Unwilling to accept that response, your Bobby called back via 101. After a long wait, he finally reached someone who took the matter seriously."

Police then arrived and one male suspect was seen to run through the car park, onto the carriageway of the A127 and over the crash barrier.

Police gave chase and stopped him on the other carriageway with traffic having to be brought to a stop.

Another suspect was found nearby.

While this happened, a third vehicle, a dark-coloured Mercedes, was seen by the MLB officer being driven towards the car park exit in an erratic manner.

It then drove out onto the A127 to the right in the wrong direction as the officer aletered police.

The driver was seen to do a three-point-turn and then go in the right direction, driving directly towards the security officer, then towards a police blockade, before mounting a pavement area near the BP garage.

He got past the blockade and police entered a marked car and gave chase as did a number of other police cars.

One of them was rammed during the chase, but officers were able to bring it to a stop.  

Meanwhile, police had searched the other vehicles at the car park.

Mr Mckelevey said: "Two suspects were detained at the scene, while the other vehicle was pursued. Police later confirmed the remaining suspects were intercepted and arrested.

"Upon inspection, officers displayed the contents of one of the vehicles on the bonnet of a police car. The items recovered included:

• Seven 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀

• 𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟱 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗱-𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴

• 𝗔 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗴

• 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝟱 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 one 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘁

• Three 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 and Boss aftershave bottles

• Six 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 (𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗳𝘁)

• 𝗕𝗼𝘅𝗲𝗱, 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗴𝘀

• Two 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀

• 𝗔 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗵, a black wooly beanie hat, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 two 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗲

Gloves were also found discarded on the ground by the cars. On the backseat was a box of Nitrous oxide gas canisters, with some canisters found in the driver's footwell area.

He added: "This significant recovery highlights the extent of criminal activity disrupted thanks to the quick thinking and decisive action of Rob and the excellent working with police on the scene."

But, he was critical of the force's initial response not to send anyone until the officer persisted and added that it had also been difficult to provide further information.

He said: "Later, when our team tried to pass further intelligence to police, it became a mission in itself — the 101 service failed, custody suites refused calls, and no direct police station contact was possible. Every route redirected to online reporting.

"Eventually, contact was made through a local officer, but for most members of the public, that would have been the end of the road.

"This is not acceptable.

"The frontline officers who attended were outstanding — but the system that should support them is broken.

"It’s time someone got a grip of the communications system."

The Met Police has been contacted for comment.