Organised burglary squads have been linked to about 50 break-ins and attempted break-ins across north London, Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley, according to a former Metropolitan Police detective who has accused the force of failing to tackle the alleged crime spree.
David McKelvey, now head of private investigation firm TM Eye, said the offences began in early September and involved groups of masked men targeting affluent neighbourhoods. Cash, jewellery, luxury watches, cars and safes are believed to have been stolen.
Police said officers were investigating a number of burglaries reported across north London in September and October, but no arrests have been made. No injuries have been reported.
Masked men filmed forcing their way into home
Doorbell footage from Grange Park in Enfield shows three men in dark clothing breaking into a house on October 2. One repeatedly strikes the front door with a crowbar, sending glass across the entrance, before two others join him and kick at the door until it gives way.
One of the men appears to spray a substance, believed by investigators to be ammonia, on the ground outside the property. Mr McKelvey said the action may have been intended to destroy DNA evidence.
The men arrived in a blue BMW 430i Gran Coupe M Sport displaying false number plates. Once inside, they took the keys to a Mercedes worth about £100,000 from the north London home.
A dog can be heard barking as the intruders enter. In separate incidents, officers from private security company My Local Bobby are said to have arrived while suspects were present, prompting them to flee; in another case, a homeowner confronted the group.
Mr McKelvey said he believed the offenders were Irish travellers operating in at least three teams of three or four men. He claimed they had targeted as many as 15 properties on some days, returning to traveller sites afterwards.
His firm began examining the offences because its sister security company patrols areas affected by the raids. The alleged activity has been concentrated in places including Hampstead and Highgate, as well as parts of Hertfordshire.
The first burglary attributed to the group took place in Highgate on September 11, when a home occupied by a mother and her children was entered. Five burglaries or attempted burglaries were then recorded in Highgate on September 30, following two in the same area the previous night.
TM Eye has also linked the group to six stolen vehicles. Mr McKelvey said the suspects appeared to begin their operations in legitimate taxed and insured cars before switching to stolen vehicles fitted with false plates.
He said the stolen cars were later wiped with ammonia and concealed, while the men left in the other vehicles.
Mr McKelvey claimed some suspects had previously been convicted of burglary after information was passed to police by his investigators in 2022 and 2023. He said at least two may have been released under an early-release scheme.
He also said two suspects were believed to have convictions for similar offences as recently as 2024, while another was thought to be a man who absconded from an open prison earlier this year.
“This type of offence is escalating because the Met Police has dismantled dedicated burglary squads to save money and burglary is no longer a priority for the force,” Mr McKelvey said.
He claimed the force had not initially treated the latest series of offences seriously enough and that his company had shared intelligence with police. He also said the firm had sought the intervention of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office.
“We are dealing with highly organised, prolific criminals who we believe are linked to more than 50 burglaries and home invasions across North London, Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley in recent weeks,” he said. “There were 15 offences on one night alone.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We recognise the significant impact that burglary offences have on victims and we treat offences of this nature extremely seriously. We are committed to identifying offenders and disrupting organised criminality.
“Experienced detectives use a range of investigative techniques to bring offenders to justice. We regularly work with other forces to identify individuals and groups who commit offences across county borders.”
The spokesman added that officers were assessing available evidence and intelligence to determine whether the north London incidents were linked, and urged anyone with information to contact police on 101.
