Over the last month there have been 25 reports of Nuisance Anti-Social Behaviour in the Bamber Bridge/Walton Le Dale/Hoghton/Samlesbury area. Most incidents were dealt with by our neighbourhood team and positive outcomes were achieved. 

In addition to this we have OP CENTURION, which is in operation each week on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. OP CENTURION is a government funded scheme which is designed to put extra police on the street in the demand areas of Bamber Bridge and providing a high visible presence patrol. 

There have been 30 reports of theft from stores in the area. The police have been working with the victims and working towards positive outcomes.  

We have introduced Op VULTURE. It was created as a result of the National Retail Crime Action Plan, which was launched in October 2023 and sets out policing’s commitment to tackling shoplifting and prioritising attendance where violence was involved, or a shoplifter was detained. It also recognised that, to make improvements, there is a necessity to develop a robust partnership approach between policing and all retailers.  

There have been 4 report of Burglary in the area. On each of these instances the Police Initial Response teams have deployed to coordinate scenes and support the victim. This has been followed up by the Neighbourhood team and Op DEFENDER. 

Op DEFENDER is the force-wide name name given to tacking residential burglary (it does not include commercial burglary). 

Op DEFENDER is built on Op FORAGER – the consensus that once a burglary takes place, another is highly likely within 400m of the targeted address within a two-week period. 

We have seized one off road bike this month. This was seized after a pursuit along the Meanygate area of Bamber Bridge. This was seized under section 34.

Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to drive any vehicle on 'any common land, moorland or land of any other description, not being land forming part of a road, or any road being a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway’ apart from some exceptions like to save a life!   

If a vehicle is used in this way, the police can seize it immediately or they may serve  a notice to the owner and driver/rider.