Armed police swooped on a suspected gunman after Enfield Council CCTV operators guided them to his location.
The Council’s CCTV control room received reports of a bare chested man in his 30s walking down Clay Hill with what looked like a black handgun on display just after noon on 28 September.
They scanned the area with their cameras and spotted a man who closely matched his description – but now wearing a black bomber jacket – with what looked like a black handgun sticking out of his sweatpant’s waistband, smoking on a bench outside the Hop Poles pub by the junction of Baker Street and Lancaster Road.
They relayed his location to armed police, who raced to the scene and arrested him after a brief struggle, retrieving a firearm, at the scene.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion, Cllr Nneka Keazor, said: “Our CCTV system has a proven track record of identifying potential dangers to the public and helping the police take the appropriate action against them.
“I am delighted that this individual was dealt with promptly and no one was hurt. It is never acceptable to carry a weapon and this incident shows once again the professionalism and bravery of our police officers and the dangers they face on a daily basis doing their job.
“Enfield Council will continue to work hard to keep residents and Enfield’s streets safe and do our utmost to reduce crime and disorder in our borough.
“We have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in our award winning CCTV system, and we have funded 16 police officers to patrol our estates to improve security in the borough.“