Police taking London ‘school wars’ so seriously they’ve launched an operation

The school wars spreading over London have reached new heights, with Operation Cedarfield being by police to clamp down on who is responsible.

Since Metro first broke the story two weeks ago, the schools across London taking part in the fights – where they are encouraged to ‘be violent’ – has increased nearly 10 fold.

The first post divided eight schools in Hackney into ‘red’ and ‘blue’ and told pupils to bring sharp objects such as compasses to harm each other.

Since then, Metro has counted more than 50 schools taking part across the capital, setting up their own ‘wars’.

These include schools in Greenwich, Tower Hamlets, Croydon and Harrow.

But parents are crying out for help, with some who have already lost a child to knife crime begging for it to be stopped.

Which schools are involved?

At time of writing, Metro has counted 58 schools involved.

A somewhat-sophisticated scoring system has also been put in place, with 20 points awarded for ‘juggin them’ and 10 for ‘bangin’.

In Greenwich, this includes: Plumstead Manor, Thomas Tallis, St Paul’s Academy, St Mary’s, Woolwich Polytechnic, John Roan, Ark Greenwich School and Royal Greenwich Trust.

In Hackney, City Academy, Cardinal Pole, Haggerston School, Urswick School, The Excelsior Academy, Bridge Academy, Mossbourne Community Academy and City of London Academy Shoreditch Park are all mentioned in the post.

In Tower Hamlets, Langdon Park, Canary Wharf College, St Paul’s Secondary, Bow School. Bishop Chancellor, Stepney Green, Wapping High School and George Green have all been named.

Other posts have also called for inter-borough competitions, with the entirety of north London divided and pitted against each other.

Another has also put boroughs on the other side of the capital against each other, with Ealing and Brent at war with Waltham Forest and Southwark.

‘I dread another parent being told their child has been stabbed’

Tammy Brown, who lost her son Russell to knife crime in 2016, has called on Tower Hamlets parents to make sure they know what their children are doing.

She told Metro: ‘It totally took my breath away seeing these posts. I hate to think of another mum or dad getting that knock on the door that turns their world upside down.

‘Innocent kids could be hurt and for what? Absolutely nothing. It’s just school vs school and terrible and scary for all.’

Pupils are also at risk of being ‘jumped’ without knowing about the posts.

One grandmother, who has a grandson in year 9 in Hackney, said as Mare Street is pedestrianied children will be more vulnerable with nowhere to hide.

She said: ‘There is no hiding on that street, everything is completely open.

‘What if a pupil just happens to be walking through it and gets jumped? It’s a disaster waiting to happen.’

Who is responsible?

All of the posts are circulating on Tiktok and Snapchat by dedicated accounts.

But some pupils do not believe it is their fellow students who have the posts, but rather outsiders looking to cause trouble.

One year 10 student told Metro: ‘People are just trying to fearmonger parents. Most schools are interlinked and have good relationships.

‘These people like to create fear and worry that is already in our communities. But any teenager with common sense would not meet somewhere where the police have been told about and bring a weapon.’

Operation Cedarfield

The Metropolitan Police is now ramping up efforts to find out who is responsible.

They have named the task Operation Cedarfield, with headteachers across London urging students to go straight home after school.

Commander Neerav Patel said: ‘We’re aware of social media posts circulating and are in close contact with schools across several London boroughs to offer reassurance.

‘Officers will maintain a strong, visible presence around schools, and will respond firmly to any reports of violence or disorder.

‘We continue to closely monitor online spaces and have worked with platforms to request a dozen social media accounts to be disabled where threats or violence were planned or encouraged.

‘I would like to remind young people of the serious consequences of getting involved in matters like this.

‘An arrest, charge and conviction for violence and carrying weapons could mean imprisonment with a significant long-term impact on future opportunities.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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