Weapons seized in raids

ANYBODY home? Police gain entry to a house on the Seatoller Court estate

POLICE have seized weapons — including a samurai sword —during drugs raids in Royton.

The Royton and Shaw neighbourhood policing team stormed six houses on the Seatoller Court estate early yesterday morning following information from residents about anti-social behaviour and drug dealing.

Officers, dog-handling teams and a firearms squad who took part in the raids, part of the force-wide Operation Reckoning, recovered dangerous weapons including kukri knives, a ball-bearing catapult, baseball bat, firearms and a samurai sword. They also found quantities of cannabis.

One man was arrested on suspicion of cultivating drugs and of weekend burglaries at Rayner Opticians and Village Kitchens in Royton.

Items believed to have been stolen, including a quantity of spectacles, were recovered from his home. Another man was arrested on suspicion of possessing controlled drugs.

Insp Karen Taylor said: “This was a great day of action as we wanted to send out a clear message to residents on the estate that we won’t tolerate criminal activity because these people are ruining lives. I want to say a big thank-you to the public for coming forward with the information - they were coming out on to the streets to thank us while it was all happening.

“I would ask them to continue to provide information to us which is helping us to clean up their estate.”

Trading standards officers also seized counterfeit goods during a raid on the Major Value shop in Market Street, Shaw, as part of the operation.

Insp Taylor praised the work of Sgt Trevor Harrison, who led the police team, along with Sgt Frank Hayley, the sniffer dog teams, trading standards and Northern Counties who are currently assessing the tenancy agreements of two of the warranted addresses.