Met Police said the young man was arrested on Monday evening and is in police custody.

Officers said that the arrest came after an investigation into social media footage featuring a number of incidents.

These included "apparently unsolicited approaches to members of the public in the street or on transport, and entering addresses without the apparent permission of the owners".

Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway of the Central East Command Unit, responsible for policing in the London boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: "I do not underestimate the widespread upset, distress and concern that these videos caused.

"Some people have referred to these as 'prank' videos, but I hope that this significant development demonstrates just how seriously we have been taking this investigation since this footage began circulating online.

"A number of these videos were produced, impacting on many different people and our investigation remains ongoing as we seek to build a strong picture of both the activity featured in the footage and impact on the public."