Film crew from production company Raw Cut Television, part of Zinc Media Group, visited Romford on March 7 as part of a new documentary with the working title Hunting the Shoplifters.
Set to air on Channel 5 in early May, according to the Romford Business Improvement District (BID), the show will examine the rise in retail crime, and what various towns across the country are doing to combat this.
For Romford, this meant following the work of Chris Levy and Khan Hunter – part of the town’s My Local Bobby team, who tackle issues such as shoplifting and antisocial behaviour.
Romford BID director Julie Frost, who said she was approached by Raw Cut about the documentary, said: “They spent the day with us to chat to me, chat to a few other businesses, and then went out with Chris and Khan – basically just following what they did.
“Straight away, we got outside and there was an issue at B&M so they went and sorted that out – you see the camera man running along chasing the bobbies.
“It was a good day, and because we were able to chat throughout all of it that helped them [Raw Cut] get a clear understanding of what we are doing.”
Havering Police was also involved in the filming, sharing CCTV and bodycam footage of a shoplifting incident, as well as arranging an interview with one of their sergeants.
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Ms Frost said Romford BID is “proud” of its partnership with the police and My Local Bobby, and wanted to “showcase” this in the documentary.
“Romford often gets a bad name for crime, but so much is being done that people don’t know is happening,” she told the Recorder.
Romford BID signed a contract with My Local Bobby in August 2023.
The security organisation works with local businesses and Havering Council to tackle shoplifting and antisocial behaviour, with an undercover team also focused on prolific offenders.
Raw Cut Television confirmed the working title for the documentary as Hunting the Shoplifters but declined to comment further.
