The Metropolitan Police Service today, Thursday, 22 January, steps up its major drive to enhance relationships with the communities it serves with more than 3,000 officers leading a wide range of activities across London.

From hosting football matches and staging a public music event with schoolchildren, to attending faith groups and holding street briefings and crime prevention events, hundreds of activities are being held as part of the Met’s Community Action Day - the third event of its kind taking place in all 32 boroughs.

Community Action Days create new opportunities for officers to speak to Londoners about the issues that matter most to people, share what we are doing to tackle crime and to discuss how we can solve problem together.

The day is brought to the public by borough officers, PCSOs and the Roads and Transport Policing Command, working with partners and local authorities with support from the Volunteer Police Cadets.

Commander Mak Chishty, Met lead for community engagement, said: "Community Action Days are a great way of strengthening relationships with our communities, with officers playing their part in engaging with Londoners over the issues that matter to them."

"London is a capital city with a gloriously diverse population that is constantly changing. Our challenge is to keep up with the changes and to police in a way that gives our communities every confidence in the service that we provide. We must engage with the people who live, work, travel or visit London in ways that best suit their needs and lifestyles."

"We appreciate that there are no short-term fixes to tackle crime and are committed to working with our communities and partners to identify long-term solutions. This isn't something that the police can do alone, but together we can make a real difference."

The Met's first Community Action Day took place in October 2014 and a second event was held in November. These two events have reached out to thousands of Londoners with a total of 2,352 engagement activities held across the capital.