Heavy Police Presence in Blackfen Was Pre-Planned Firearms Operation, Says Met
Residents in Blackfen were left alarmed on Tuesday, 16 July, after a large police presence was seen around Blackfen Road, including armed officers wearing balaclavas.
Multiple eyewitnesses took to social media to report the incident, with some describing the sight of heavily armed officers near the Jolly Fenman pub. Concern quickly grew across local Facebook groups and community pages as residents speculated about the nature of the activity.
However, the Metropolitan Police has since clarified the situation.
“This was not in response to an ongoing incident,” a Met Police spokesperson confirmed.
“It was a pre-planned firearms operation. No shots were fired, and all emergency services have now been stood down.”
The force has not yet confirmed whether any arrests were made during the operation or disclosed further details about its purpose. The presence of specialist officers suggests the operation may have involved a high-risk target or intelligence-led intervention.
A request for further comment has been sent to the Met Police regarding the nature and outcome of the deployment.