Thousands of illegal vapes and cigarettes have been seized in Heywood to cut off the flow of potentially harmful products in the community.
Heywood’s neighbourhood policing team say they have had a successful year with the number of arrests made increasing by more then 200 per cent.
More than 1,200 illegal vapes, valuing around £13,500, were seized and approximately 18,000 illegal cigarettes, worth around £10,000, were also taken off the streets by the team.
The seizures were carried out in conjunction with Trading Standards.
Sergeant Matthew Honey, from the Heywood Neighbourhood Team, said: “2023 was a great year for our local team and I am pleased with the positive results throughout the last 12 months.
“We are very much carrying on in the vein of last year, more locking up criminals, more days of action, more community engagement, and more good police work for the residents of Heywood.”
The team also reported that last year the number of stop searches increased by 18 per cent on 2022 with officers stopping more than 300 people.
They added that they have seen a reduction in retail crime, while speed operation days have resulted in 149 fines or court appearances.
Sgt Honey added: “We post lots of our results and patch news on our social media accounts, and I would encourage residents to follow us for the latest on what’s going on across Heywood.
"Bee In The Loop is a valuable tool too – I will post regular updates on what is going on throughout the area.”
Specific events for the community included an open day, which more than 400 residents attended
Officers have also linked up with young people where possible to give road safety inputs at primary schools and Special Constables have met up with local Scout groups for speed gun evenings.
Sgt Honey said: “Of course, if you ever need to contact us, we are always happy to help.
“You can visit one of our PACT (Police and Communities Together) meetings, talk to one of our officers out on patrol, or report information online at gmp.police.uk. You can also report information by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”
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