THE METROPOLITAN Police are to put 1,000 officers on duty around London schools in a bid to cut down on muggings.


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Overall, a third of mugging victims are school and college age students and police say that the first term of a new school year usually sees a spike in muggings, especially of mobile phones.

In response, this year the Met are to station extra officers outside schools and along routes home, such as at Tube stations and bus-stops.

“We are doing everything we can through enforcement, education and prevention to address [street crime],” said Ian McPherson, Assistant Commissioner at the Met.

Part of that prevention side is to convince students to make a note of their phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity number.

If a phone is stolen, victims can help to block its use by quoting their IMEI number to their phone network. The IMEI number can usually be found in the phone’s battery compartment, or by punching *#06# into the keppad.

The 1,000-extra-officers scheme is to continue throughout this half-term, until 21 October.