It is 4am. No one stirs save those who have not yet been to bed and the damp grey dawn has yet to gain purchase on the sky. It is cold. It is dark and silent as the grave.

By 5am, something is afoot. In a crowded, poorly lit room, more than 100 police officers have gathered to be briefed on an impending raid, in a massive operation to crack down on violence, drugs and guns. The atmosphere is not tense - it is eager, anticipating triumph.

In about half an hour, they will fill maybe as many as 20 vans and cars, waiting, as though expectantly, in a quiet garage. By 6am, they will reach their targets. They are ready. For more than a year, they have been preparing for this day.

Little do the somnolent residents of Chingford know, their peaceful slumber is about to erupt as these officers swoop on 12 addresses all over the area. Before 7am, they will make 14 arrests as well as seizing drug-related paraphernalia, cash, stolen goods and guns.

Today is the culmination of 14 months of hard work and covert operations to target gangs dealing drugs in the borough. And I was along for the ride.

I must confess, it was all a bit surreal. I wasn't the only non-police officer there - there were three councillors as well as members of the Community Safety Board - but I don't think I could have stood out more if I tried. Trooping into a police briefing with a photographer is certainly an effective way of setting oneself apart and quite a few people turned round and openly gawped at us for a good few seconds.

This is not to say, however, that they were unfriendly - more surprised, I think. We were well looked after, of course, and kept well out of harm's way, but it did become something of a public spectacle.

We all stood in the street, watching the police doing what is presumably routine to them, waiting to be told it was all over. It was also still very early in the morning and I'm sure we roused the interest of many a sharp-eyed curtain twitcher.

And I rather hope this sort of thing might become more common (despite waking up at about 3.30am) as we settle more into our roles as mobile journalists. These first few days haven't been without their problems, mainly technology related, but being out and about does mean we can just go along to things like this, without worrying so much about having to be in the office for a certain time, delaying getting something online.

As to the rest of the week and beyond, I have no idea what lies in store, but this, I hope, bodes well.