The dramatic moment a house near Bury is stormed by riot police has been caught on camera as part of a crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour. Officers from Lancashire Constabulary were seen in a riot van heading to an address on Blackburn Road in Haslingden, Rossendale. Just seconds later, the front door of the property was forced down and raided by police.
Those inside the property at the time, which took place on Friday morning (April 22) according to the timestamp, were warned to stay where they were. A quantity of drugs and a mobile phone were seized from the address during the raid.
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The drugs-busting raid took place as part of Operation Vanquish, which saw officers target activity in the Blackpool and Lancaster areas last week, reports Lancashire Live. The operation launched in February in a bid to tackle crime and associated anti-social behaviour.
The video was uploaded to the Rossendale Police Facebook page today (April 25). A Lancashire Constabulary spokesperson said: "Last week, we continued to Take the Fight to Criminals as part of Op Vanquish.
"Across the week we arrested a number of people for suspected drug offences within Lancashire, including a warrant that took place on Blackburn Rd in Haslingden. When we searched through the address, we found a small amount of drugs and a mobile phone, the phone will now be examined for evidence of drug dealing."
They continued: "Our message to the criminals is clear; if you are involved in criminality you are not welcome on our streets and we will find you, sooner rather than later. We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to. We know that normal, decent people are being affected by the actions of those involved in drugs and associated criminality, including violence and we are determined to tackle them, as well as seizing criminal assets and putting that money back into our efforts to keep people safe.
"We need communities to continue to work with us to let us know who these people are and what they are involved in. If you suspect that drugs are being circulated in your area, please continue to help us to help you by sharing what you know.
"Anyone with any information which may assist officers in their pledge to combat crime can speak to a local officer, report information online at https://orlo.uk/oQVwY or call 101. Independent charity Crimestoppers can also reached free and in confidence on 0800 555 111 or online at https://orlo.uk/QMxOb."
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