There were more than 30 per cent fewer robberies in Barking and Dagenham last year compared to 2011.

Personal robbery between April and December 2012 was 32.6 per cent less than the same period the previous year, while business robbery fell by 42 per cent, Barking and Dagenham Police revealed.

They said the introduction of a dedicated burglary and robbery squad and a borough support unit which targets specific crime coupled with the vigilance of the public had contributed to the fall.

Police sergeant Brian Fry of the Barking and Dagenham borough support unit said: “While we are justifiably proud of the robbery reduction we will not be taking our foot off the gas.

“We are a highly motivated unit that will continue to make use of every legal resource available to us in order to remove robbers and burglars from the streets of Barking and Dagenham and place them before the courts.”

Meanwhile the Met Police has launched a London-wide robbery campaign, which will see posters displayed across the capital.

The advertising highlights the importance of taking steps to protect phones, tablet devices, jewellery, cash and other valuables, and is timed to coincide with the start of the year when there is historically a rise in robbery figures.