"This is a rare chance to give the public insight into the work done by our undercover officers, which resulted in 31 robbers arrested in a 12-month period, all caught red-handed trying to steal high value watches in the heart of the West End," Met Intelligence Commander Ben Russell said.

"By targeting the people causing the most harm and the locations most frequently linked to crime, we are having a greater impact on keeping our communities safe. Undercover operations will always carry an element of personal danger and, while we risk assess all our operations thoroughly, all the officers involved demonstrated extraordinary courage and determination."