Seventeen arrested in dramatic police raids across Shropshire

Raids took place in Telford, Shrewsbury, Wem, Oswestry, Whitchurch and Market Drayton yesterday as hundreds of police officers took to the county's streets in a day of action.

In one raid, in Woodside, Telford, officers used a chainsaw to help batter down a door and gain access to a house.

Across the county, unsuspecting residents were arrested on suspicion of crimes, which included theft, possession of cannabis, possession and supply of class A drugs and perverting the course of justice.

Cutbacks to West Mercia Police's budget have presented real challenges – but officers have sought to show members of the public they are still a force on the streets.

Operation Protect saw more than 2,000 members of both Warwickshire and West Mercia Police forces run a day of raids and activities in a bid to help the public feel safe.

The aim of the operation was to show residents the work officers do every day and reassure them that there will still be a police presence on the streets despite police cutbacks, which has seen West Mercia's budget slashed by £6 million for the next financial year. Deputy Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said: "That is the objective today, to show yes we have got some real challenges at the moment but the message is we are dealing with that head-on and we will always have a presence in our local communities.

"We can do a lot more as an alliance because we can work across borders. Criminals do not recognise borders and neither do we."

He added: "The aim of Operation Protect is to reinforce to ourselves and to the public what we do every day and it is to get 2,000 staff to work with our local response teams.

"We also want to do this in a very public way, to help people feel safe.

"We have had a number of drugs raids and we have a simple message for people who involve themselves in possession or supply of drugs – we will not tolerate it."

The operation began at 5am yesterday and saw more than 40 warrants carried out across the two force areas, alongside automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) operations to tackle criminals using the roads, community speed watching, test purchase operations, schools visits to promote online safety, community engagement and crime prevention events and much more. Police staff from all roles and positions were involved in the operation.

Leading a briefing of hundreds of officers at 5am at Malinsgate Police Station in Telford, Superintendent James Tozer, said: "This is the biggest operation we have had so far across the forces. This is about protecting the public from harm and enhancing the protection of our communities."

More than 40 warrants were executed across the West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police force areas as officers carried out the Operation Protect raids from 5am.

Deputy Chief Constable Anthony Bangham told people involved in criminal activity: "We have had a number of drugs raids and we have a simple message for people who involve themselves in possession or supply of drugs – we will not tolerate it."

Seventeen people across Shropshire have been arrested as hundreds of police descended on residents suspected of being involved in drugs in a series of dawn raids across the county.

Nine arrests were made in Telford, four in Shrewsbury and one each in Market Drayton, Oswestry, Wem and Whitchurch.

Police forced their way into the properties in the early hours of the morning.

At one home in Woodside, Telford, a chainsaw was used to cut a huge hole in the front door and gain access.

It was part of a West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police joint sting called Operation Protect. More than 35 warrants were executed across the two force areas.

A number of people were also arrested for firearms offences, theft and perverting the course of justice as part of the operation.

The raids were a part of the operation launched yesterday and saw 2,000 officers take to the streets in a bid to show members of public the work of the police.

Superintendent James Tozer said: "

"I am happy with how it has gone so far. We want to reassure people if they tell us something we will take action on it."

Nine arrests were made following a series of raids in Telford.

A 32-year-old man from Woodside held on suspicion of firearms offences has been bailed, a 29-year-old man from Hadley arrested for possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs remains in custody, as does a 20-year-old man from Woodside arrested for possession with intent to supply class B drugs. A 27-year-old man from Dawley concerned in the supply of Class A drugs has been bailed, as has a 25-year-old man from Wellington arrested for possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs.

A 21-year-old woman remains in custody after being arrested in King Street, Dawley, for possession of a controlled drug and theft. A 47-year-old woman was cautioned after being arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender, a 16-year-old girl held for perverting the course of justice was bailed and and a 28-year-old man from Woodside held for a public order offence and theft remains in custody.

Across the rest of Shropshire eight arrests were made. A 40-year-old from Market Drayton who was arrested on possession of Class A drugs has been released on bail, a 38-year-old woman from Shrewsbury arrested for possession of class A and B drugs and theft remains in custody, and a 36-year-old male from Wem apprehended for suspicion of possession of cannabis was given a caution.

A 43-year-old man was arrested in King Street in oswestry on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs and remains in custody, a 37-year-old man is being held on suspicion of burglary at a home in Whitehouse Gardens in Shrewsbury and an 18-year-old man from Whitchurch has been charged with burglary and bailed.

Two men aged 51 and 21 from Shrewsbury were arrested on suspicion of theft but were released and will face no further action.