A live facial recognition (LFR) technology trial on a busy south London street resulted in more than 100 arrests over three months, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The pilot was launched in October 2025 and saw LFR cameras mounted on existing street furniture – such as lamp posts – at two locations on either ends of North End, a pedestrianised road in Croydon town centre.

This marked the first time that Metropolitan Police in London operated LFR deployments without need for a police van. Previously, the cameras were mounted on vans and could only be used when officers were present in the vehicle.

This pilot, however, enabled the Met to monitor camera feeds remotely during deployments, making operations more efficient. But the cameras were only switched on when officers were on the ground to talk to those identified by the system and make any necessary arrests.

In total, there were 13 deployments during the trial, during which an arrest was made on average every 34 minutes.

The Met says Croydon was selected because of its status as a crime hotspot and that, in the three months since the pilot began, more than 100 wanted criminals have been arrested.

Figures released by the Met show that LFR has helped drive down crime such as retail and violent crime and sexual offences in Fairfield Ward, Croydon, by 12%. 

Each deployment maps a person’s unique facial features and matches them against a “bespoke, intelligence-led watchlist”. After the deployment concludes, any biometric data from members of the public who are not wanted by the police is immediately deleted.

The Met have been making use of LFR technology sporadically since 2016, but have increased their deployments in recent years. 

Lindsey Chiswick, the Met and national lead for live facial recognition, said: “The increase in LFR deployments across crime hotspots in London is driven by its proven impact and success – with more than 1,700 dangerous offenders taken off London’s streets since the start of 2024, including those wanted for rape and child abuse.

“This is why we are trialling a new and innovative pilot in Croydon. It allows us to explore a different way of using facial recognition by operating it remotely and more efficiently.”

The force said there were no current plans to expand the pilot to any other sites in London.

While the pilot has been hailed as a success by the Met, the use of this technology is not without controversy. Increasingly adopted in settings around the UK, such as at airport border controls and on high streets, it has its detractors, including privacy advocates and politicians concerned that the broad proliferation of surveillance technology has serious implications for human rights.