Over 40 arrests and £7000 worth of illegal goods seized in Tameside crime crackdown

More than 40 arrests were made and a haul of drugs, weapons, and illegal tobacco and vapes seized during a major crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour in Tameside.

The large-scale operation, known as Operation Avro, was carried out on 25 September and led by Greater Manchester Police with support from Tameside Council and other partner organisations. Extra resources from across the force were brought in to target key community concerns.

The day of action saw officers execute arrest warrants, conduct road safety and vehicle checks, carry out spot inspections on businesses suspected of illegal activity, and investigate fly-tipping. Firework safety checks and community engagement activities, including information stands, also took place.

Council Trading Standards officers, working alongside police, visited eight shops following intelligence about the sale of illicit tobacco. All eight had previously sold illegal goods to test purchasers. During the visits, officers seized 18,960 cigarettes, 5.15kg of hand-rolling tobacco, and 729 illegal vapes, with an estimated street value of more than £7900 Investigations remain ongoing.

Environmental health officers also checked premises for compliance with health and safety regulations, while council staff carried out checks on the storage of fireworks by unlicensed retailers.

In Ashton’s St Peter’s area, waste enforcement, community safety officers, and police were joined by pupils from Holy Trinity and St Peter’s primary schools, as well as local councillors and residents, to tackle littering and fly-tipping. Four fixed penalty notices were issued and several hotspot areas were cleared of rubbish.

Pupils from Holy Trinity Primary School and local residents take part in the day of action. Credit: Tameside Council

Officers also engaged with residents about issues such as keeping bins secure to prevent them from being stolen, damaged, or misused in anti-social behaviour.

To complement the community safety theme, the council held special Storymakers sessions in local libraries, focusing on how and when to call 999. The initiative proved popular, with 780 children and 156 adults taking part.

Councillor Stephen Homer, Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Towns, Transport and Connectivity, praised the efforts of all involved.

He said: “This was a really successful day and highlights the impact we can make when we all work together to tackle issues of concern to our local community.

“This kind of work takes place day in, day out, but the operation helps to shine a spotlight on the ongoing efforts – much of which usually happens behind the scenes – while also enabling the police to bring in additional resources from across the force to tackle specific issues.

“I was especially heartened to see members of the community and school children getting involved with enthusiasm to help look after their local areas. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the day, your efforts are really appreciated.”

Chief Superintendent Chris Foster said: “Initiatives like Operation AVRO are vital in the fight against criminality across Greater Manchester, and yesterday’s results show the positive impact of the work we do within our local community.

“By acting on intelligence received from our communities and partnership working, our officers can tackle the issues we’re told matter most to the people of Tameside; which includes speeding, drug dealing and anti-social behaviour. 

 “An impressive 42 arrests were made over the course of the day, with further activity planned as part of our ongoing commitment to make Tameside a safer place for people to live, work and visit.

“I would like to thank everyone involved, and the people of Tameside who stopped to talk to our officers, engaged with us and our partners or raised any concerns."

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