L&Q helps to pull plug on pirates of the Caribbean

Six people have been arrested following a joint operation by L&Q, Ofcom and the police to shut down an illegal pirate radio station.

An investigation began when L&Q Tenancy Services Officer Laura Cravitz spotted unauthorised people on the roof of All Saints Tower on the Beaumont Estate in Leyton.

After a joint probe with the Leyton Safer Neighbourhoods team it emerged that the tower was being used to broadcast a pirate radio station called Energy FM.

Energy FM was broadcasting unlicensed, unregulated programmes aimed at London’s Caribbean community 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The aerial on the tower was disrupting signals to local residents trying to listen to legal radio shows.

L&Q worked closely with Leyton Safer Neighbourhoods to take the aerial down a number of times and L&Q also provided extra security. But, despite our efforts, residents in All Saints Tower started receiving threats and the lifts often had to be disabled because they were being tampered with and being made unsafe.

On occasions, it is alleged that security staff were physically threatened with knives and crowbars.

Realising it was time to get tough, L&Q joined forces with Ofcom - the independent regulator of communications in the UK - and we installed CCTV and arranged surveillance operations using empty properties in the tower.

The evidence we were able to collect through these channels meant that Ofcom could go to court and get a warrant to search a premises in Tottenham which was suspected of being used as the studio for the station and make arrests.

L&Q joined the police, Ofcom and a BBC film crew earlier this week to raid the Tottenham property.

Six people were arrested and thousands of pounds worth of broadcasting and musical equipment was seized. The six have all been charged with various offences and released on bail to return to court at a later date.

Paul Mercer, head of investigations at Ofcom, said that pirate stations often play havoc with the life-saving work of ambulance and fire crews by disrupting their radio signals.

He said that last year the regulator received 41 complaints from the emergency services about this and was asked to remove the interference. Pirate signals also affect National Air Traffic services.

Ben Ando from the BBC added that there are fears that certain songs on some pirate stations may provide code for drug deals while some stations publicise lucrative illegal raves and parties.

Housing Manager Richard Southall from L&Q said: "Pirates break down doors, smash windows, and even break lifts erecting their equipment.
"Intimidating threats are made to people and it makes a lot of residents’ lives hell."