Twelve arrests in Blackpool town centre crime crackdown

Twelve people have been arrested in a crackdown on crime in a seaside resort's town centre.The operation in Blackpool targeted aggressive street drinkers, anti-social behaviour (ASB) and people riding illegal e-bikes dangerously around the pedestrianised areas, Lancashire Police said.Blackpool neighbourhood police and task force teams joined forces with Blackpool Council and the Business Improvement District (BID) to prevent and intervene in anti-social behaviour.Lancashire police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw said he wanted to combat ASB and make offenders aware such crimes would be punished.
The arrests last weekend included:Two men from Blackpool, aged 20 and 18, held on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugsA 31-year-old man, from Blackpool, on suspicion of actual bodily harm and stalkingA 43-year-old man from Blackpool on suspicion of robbery and fraudA man, 36, from Lancaster after being wanted for six court warrantsA 29-year-old man from Bolton for a suspected 13 shoplifting offencesThree people on suspicion of being drunk and disorderlyTwo people for breaches of criminal behaviour orders An individual on suspicion of committing public order offences.Officers from Blackpool Council also issued six people with community protection warnings (CPWs) about their behaviour.Ch Insp John Jennings-Wharton said: "The issues we tackled over the weekend are those that the community regularly tells us are causing them the most concern and makes people feel unsafe when visiting the town centre." He said the neighbourhood teams were continuing to crack down on criminal and anti-social behaviour daily and would continue to conduct weekends of action throughout the summer."Be assured that once warnings have been issued to offenders, enforcement will follow," he added.John Blackledge, Blackpool Council director of community and environmental services, said the authority had been working closely with neighbourhood policing teams and other partners "taking a proactive approach to preventing and intervening in anti-social behaviour".He said the arrests "sends out a clear signal that such behaviour will not be tolerated".Mr Grunshaw said: "Offenders must know crimes, even low-level ones, will be punished."
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