‘Our focus is on making public spaces safer for everyone particularly women and girls’-East Area Police Chief Stuart Bell.

The man charged with the murder of Zara Aleena yesterday (Friday November 19) pleaded guilty to her murder. 35 year old Zara was brutally attacked and murdered along Cranbrook Road in Ilford on June 26 and following a fast moving police investigation, Jordan McSweeney from Dagenham was arrested.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who is in charge of policing across East Area, said: “In the days and weeks following Zara’s awful murder we worked closely with community representatives, the local authority and our partners to provide support and reassurance. That vital work continues. 

“I made it clear at the time of this attack and I reiterate it now – women should not have to change their behaviour and should be able to go about their lives, feeling safe, at any time of day or night.

“It is our job to achieve that and across the Met, we are absolutely committed to rising to that challenge. Our focus on making public spaces safer for everyone, but particularly women and girls, and identifying offenders who wish to do them harm, is relentless. While we are achieving good results we know there is much more work to do.

“We will continue to engage with residents, with their elected representatives and with our partners to find realistic solutions to problems or vulnerabilities identified locally so that we can make changes that have a genuine impact on safety in our community.

“I would join DCI Whellams in praising the response of local people who came to Zara’s aid after she was attacked and to all those who have shown the strength, resilience and leadership to guide the community in the months since.”