The highest speed recorded by speed cameras in Havering in the last four years was one dangerous driver who was caught travelling a “completely unacceptable” 105mph down the A12 in Harold Hill, the Recorder can reveal.

But a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) to the Metropolitan Police has revealed that top-speed offences in the borough have fallen massively since 2015 - when that vehicle was captured on camera on the A12 Colchester Road near Harold Court.

In 2016 the highest speed was again on the A12 Colchester Road in Harold Hill, but this time recorded as 97mph by speed cameras near the junction with Gubbins Lane.

This fell, though only slightly, to 96mph the following year - again recorded on the A12 in Harold Hill, though this time much closer to the Gallows Corner Roundabout at the A road's junction with Mayfield Crescent.

It is unclear whether the speed cameras on the A12 functioned after this point, but according to the data provided by the Metropolitan Police no further speeding was recorded on the A12's speed cameras in Havering in either 2018 or so far in 2019.

The highest speed caught by cameras in 2018 was on the A1306 New Road in Rainham, near the junction with Betterton Road. This was recorded as 69mph.

Six of the seven highest speeds caught on camera that year took place in the very same spot, caught by speed camera 2521.

And so far this year, the highest speed recorded on the borough's speed cameras was in Hornchurch on Wingletye Lane, near its junction with Wiltshere Avenue, where an offence of 51mph was recorded.

That means that since 2015, the highest speeds caught on camera in Havering have more than halved, from 105mph in 2015 to 51mph so far this year.

A similar, though less dramatic trend can be noted in the neighbouring borough of Redbridge, where top speeds fell from 100mph on the A12 in Goodmayes in 2015 to 69mph in 2019.

Back in 2015 the Recorder revealed that Met Police officers had in fact clocked a car in Havering at the fastest speed of anywhere in London.

One driver on the A13 in Wennington was caught by officers travelling at 124mph - a speed later condemned as "appallingly dangerous" by a Havering Council spokesman.

The Met are currently conducting an ongoing operation across London in a bid to help achieve the Mayor of London's Vision Zero, which hopes to eliminate road fatalities in the city by 2041.

Operation Road Challenge began back in July, and involves officers using speed cameras as well as drones and other technology to target dangerous drivers across the capital.

Mandy McGregor, Head of Transport for London's Transport Policing, added: "The devastation caused by road trauma is completely unacceptable, which is why we are working closely with the Met to crack down on dangerous and careless behaviour.

"Operation Road Challenge will help us ensure that offenders who have total disregard for the law and the safety of others are removed from our roads.

"We are committed to cracking down on the highest risk offenders and will continue to do so until we reach our Vision Zero ambition."

And Det Supt Andy Cox, of the Met's Road and Transport Policing Command, added: "The operational plan provides a coordinated, efficient and effective response to deny high risk and dangerous individuals the use of London's roads.

"Specifically targeting subjects in those areas of London suffering from high volumes of fatal and serious collisions, this will contribute towards the strategic aim of the Mayor's Vision Zero action plan to reducing serious and fatal collisions in London zero by 2041."