Ashfield men arrested in police crime crackdown

Four men and women have been arrested for various crimes as part of a police action day to target crime and keep people safe in Derbyshire.

A 31-year-old man and a 29-year-old man, both from the Ashfield area, have been arrested on suspicion of theft after their vehicle was stopped during the operation.

The offences are believed to have been carried out in the Nottinghamshire area and the men have been questioned by police in Mansfield.

A 34-year-old Alfreton man was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis, and a 17-year-old female was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, following a warrant by police at a house in Alfreton.

A large quantity of suspected cannabis was seized. They have both been bailed pending further enquiries.

The arrests were part of a wider operation, in which a total of fourteen people were arrested in the Amber Valley.

Operation Purpose was set up to bring different partners together to engage with the community and tackle crime.

The project, which took place on March 8, included court warrants, police roadside checks, visits to businesses and community safety stalls and homes of multiple occupancy.

The force worked alongside HM Revenue and Customs, the Amber Valley Community safety Partnership, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, project Advenus and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Officers arrested eight people from across the Amber Valley who were wanted by police on outstanding criminal offences, ranging from theft to violence.

Road checks were carried out on the main arterial routes through the Amber Valley section. Police officers were joined by officers from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and HM Revenue and Customs.

Six vehicles were seized as they were found with serious defects which stopped the driver from continuing with their journey without repair or recovery.

Officers dealt with 23 drivers for not wearing a seatbelt, 13 drivers for using their mobile phones while driving, ten vehicles were found to have tyre defects and nine vehicles were stopped for lighting offences. One vehicle was found to be using red diesel.

Inspector Pat Howitt, who is the lead on policing in the Amber Valley and coordinated the operation, said: “We have achieved some great results which I hope will benefit people in both the long and short term and sent a clear message that crime won’t be tolerated in Amber Valley or Derbyshire.

“I would like to thank all those partners who participated in the operation and worked together to achieve our shared goal of keeping the community a safe and pleasant place to live and work.”

Anyone with information about crime in their area, or to contact your local Safer Neighbourhood policing team, call 101, the non-emergency number for police.