Metropolitan Police Service - Volunteer Cadets

Barking and Dagenham Police cadets volunteered at short notice to take part in a local youth initiative on Friday 26 August that involved litter picking across the green spaces and other areas that surround Barking Town Centre. During the initiative, the Cadets discovered more than 60 T-Mobile ‘Pay As You Go’ SIM cards at the side of the Barking Northern Relief Road, which was their assigned clean up area.

In the wake of the disorder, our cadets have also assisted by conducting awareness patrols handing out reassurance and crime prevention leaflets in the areas within Barking and Dagenham that were most affected. Their actions have also reminded the community that the vast majority of young people make a positive contribution to their local area.

Our tireless boys and girls have also spent much of this weekend working on fund raising for Help for Heroes.

PC Daryl Bonas, who manages the cadets, said: “The cadets stepped forward at very short notice to join with other young people from the Borough to clear litter from Abbey Green and the local area. The idea was to challenge any possible negative perceptions of the local youngsters after the recent riots and to show the residents of Barking & Dagenham that the vast majority of young people are law abiding and care for their local community.

“The weather was absolutely atrocious with a very heavy downpour just as they started on their litter pick up but they very cheerfully carried their black bin bags and litter pickers to their assigned area on the green at the edge of the Northern Relief Road.

“Apart from the usual assortment of litter and rubbish, the cadets also found over 60 ‘Pay As You Go’ SIM cards, believed to have been stolen from the T-Mobile Store in Vicarage Fields during the looting. The cadets are fantastic ambassadors for the youth of Barking & Dagenham and I hope they helped to provide a positive impression of local young people to the residents of the Borough."