Ten arrested and drugs, weapons and illegal goods seized in Dudley day of intense police action

Another day of Operation Advance action has seen arrests made, drugs confiscated, and illegal weapons and goods taken off the streets of Dudley as police carry out more intensive action in the area.

Operation Advance is the name given to West Midlands Police's dedicated days of action across the West Midlands, with officers focusing on dealing with issues that matter to residents the most.

The latest day of action, the second of its kind in the area, took place on Friday, June 28, and saw officers take to the streets of Dudley to tackle issues ranging from illegal tobacco and alcohol sales, harassment and assault and anti-social behaviour complaints.

As part of the operation, specialist teams across the force joined together to tackle residents' concerns, with officers also taking the opportunity to meet and engage with the public.

Throughout the day of action, officers arrested 10 people, eight of whom have allegedly been evading arrest for suspected offences ranging from assault and theft to harassment and breach of bail conditions.

Of those arrested was a 23-year-old man who was allegedly spotted driving a vehicle on cloned plates and while disqualified. After a car was seen driving through red lights and on the wrong side of a duel carriageway, it got stuck between other vehicles and an occupant made off on foot. With the assistance of a police helicopter, a man was later detained.

And a 14-year-old boy from Kingswinford was charged with possession of an offensive weapon and possession of cannabis after a stop and search on Stourbridge High Street. He was charged and later bailed to appear before Dudley Magistrates Court on July 23.

During the day of action, police also assisted Dudley Council's Trading Standards team in raiding a number of shops in the borough, with officers seizing thousands of pounds worth of illegal cigarettes and vapes from stores in Lye High Street.

Also during the day, officers took part in road safety operations in Castlegate and after working with partners, recorded 24 traffic offences such as using a mobile phone, failing to keep vehicles in a roadworthy condition and jumping red lights.

Assistant Chief Constable, Mike O'Hara said: "Working with our partners such as the DVSA, Immigration, Motor Insurance Bureau and others we pulled over lots of vehicles that were unroadworthy or had markers on them from a policing perspective.

"Ultimately, criminals are on the road so it’s really important that we’re on the road with our partners enforcing."

The day of action also saw officers patrol in the area's recreational areas and green spaces, where they conducted a weapon sweep of the Dell Stadium and had a walkabout of Fens Pool Nature Reserve following concerns of anti-social behaviour.

Officers also took the chance to talk to residents of the area, provide safe travel advice to commuters and visit schools to talk to pupils.