THREE determined senior police officers have been recognised for helping to cut street crime across Newham by 37 per cent.

Det Chief Insp Dave McKelvey, Det Insp Jim Guest and Insp George Trebess worked together to create Operation Siegfried last year, catching one in five street robbers during the peak of the initiative.

They were all given commendations for their hard work and leadership.

A police spokeswoman said: "Over the past five years Newham has experienced a sharp rise in the number of street crime offences during the summer months. There was a peak in 2003, which saw particularly high numbers. The effect of such violent crime on victims and the public perception of the fear of crime is well evidenced."

DCI McKelvey, of the police's pro-active branch, was asked to address the problem last May. He immediately set about identifying the causes of street crime, building partnerships, gathering intelligence on "hot spot" areas and identifying recurring offenders.

Operation Siegfried was set up to implement day-to-day tactics in response to events. Mr McKelvey worked with Mr Guest, in charge of the crime and robbery squads, and Insp George Trebess, in charge of the safer streets task force, to crack down on offences.

Officers were required to work long and unsocial hours to combat crime and deal with the large increase in arrests. Their strong leadership maintained morale. After three months more than 450 people had been arrested and many robbers convicted.

A police spokeswoman said: "These achievements exceeded the borough's targets and placed Newham within the top three performing boroughs in England and Wales. This in turn dramatically impacted on Newham's annual targets for street crime offending. The three officers who led this operation showed a determination, drive and flair that maintained the impetus of this initiative. They should be commended for their leadership, dedication and tenacity in tackling street crime in Newham."