Drug gangs targeted by police in crackdown

Gloucestershire police are targeting an organised criminal gang in Cheltenham

An estate in Cheltenham is the first to be targeted in Gloucestershire Constabulary’s crack down on organised criminal gangs.

The force is working to eradicate a gang linked with drug dealing in Moors Avenue, St Paul's.

It is part of Operation Endeavour, which aims to remove organised criminal gangs from an area and prevent them from returning.

Chief Constable, Rod Hansen, said the gangs have a deep impact on the lives of local residents. “It’s the fear in particular that can blight a local community," he said.

'High risk'

“[Residents] are just a little bit nervous, if not frightened, to come forward and support a prosecution or tell us what’s happening," he added.

“And we need to give them the confidence, protection and support to do that.”

Operation Endeavour has recently been rolled out across the force.

It is made up of three strands: Clearing an area of criminality, preventing criminals from returning or moving to other areas, and rebuilding community links.

The force has said there are currently 17 organised criminal gangs operating across Gloucestershire carrying out a number of criminal activities including drug dealing, selling firearms, planning cyber attacks, hare coursing, meat harvesting and people trafficking among others.

Moors Avenue was selected as the first location for the operation as it is at “high risk of serious criminality” relating to the sale of class A drugs and intelligence around firearms.

Insp Mike Yates believes the enclosed environment of the estate has made illegal activity easier to hide, along with overgrown areas which are used to stash drugs and weapons, gaps in fences which create “escape routes” for criminals and poor lighting and CCTV coverage which allow criminal acts to take place unobserved.

As a consequence, Insp Yates, has said some residents are afraid to leave their homes.

“For those with young people in the area or people who are vulnerable in some way, actually just stepping out on the doorstep might make you vulnerable to being susceptible to being harmed or co-opted by these organised criminal members,” he added.

'See deals happening'

Many people the BBC approached in Moors Avenue were reluctant to discuss criminal activity in the area.

One resident, who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisals, said a man was beaten up by three people outside his front door.

“There was a guy jumping through our garden trying to escape the police,” he added.

“You see a lot of drug deals happening, you see a lot of cars pull up and people buying drugs.

"You find a lot of needles on the floor, you get the odd fight and police [are here] at least two times a week.”

Gloucestershire Constabulary has said Operation Endeavour will be rolled out to target criminal gangs in other parts of the county in the future.