The Met's Police Central e-Crime Unit has saved the UK economy more than £140 million in the last six months and is well on course to exceed its four-year harm reduction target.

Operational activity targeting online criminals has seen the unit deliver nearly 30% of its £504 million harm reduction target in this initial period alone.

"PCeU, together with its partners in industry and international law enforcement, has excelled..."

This figure - clearly significantly more than the projected target for a full year - relates to the amount of money the UK has been prevented from losing through cyber crime and has been achieved following a number of successful prosecutions and operations by the unit.

The ACPO National e-Crime Programme (NeCP), which is responsible for delivering the policing response to the Cabinet Office's National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP), was allocated £30 million earlier this year after cyber security was recognised as one of the biggest threats to the UK.