Six arrested and £15,000 seized in police raids

Five men and a woman were arrested in Washington on Tuesday

Six people were arrested in a series of raids carried out across a town as part of a crackdown on vehicle crime and theft.

More than 60 officers from Northumbria Police were involved in the operation targeting Albany, Concord and Oxclose in Washington.

BBC analysis of figures from earlier this year showed vehicle crime in the town had almost doubled since 2021.

Northumbria Police said five men and one woman were arrested for offences including burglary, vehicle theft and possession of drugs.

It brings the number of arrests so far this year to 16.

Cash and drugs were also seized during the raids on Tuesday

A 20-year-old man was arrested in the Oxclose area on Tuesday morning on suspicion of theft of motor vehicle and remains in custody.

A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs during another warrant in Washington town centre.

Drugs, £15,000 cash and scales were also seized, as well as a suspected stolen off-road motorcycle.

The action is part of Operation Dreyfus, which was set up after a significant rise in vehicle crime in the area.

Ch Insp Gemma Calvert, from Northumbria Police, said it had already proved successful.

Ch Insp Gemma Calvert said there had been positive feedback from the community

"We've had some really positive feedback from the community already and hopefully it's making our community feel safe," she said.

She added the operation would stay in place until the public was "reassured" and the spike in crime had reduced.

"Hopefully the community will see this day of action as a real visual tool, they'll see how dedicated we are to tackling those issues and it will provide reassurance," she said.

Northumbria Police figures published by Police.UK revealed there were 196 reports of vehicle crime in Washington in the 12 months from May 2021 to April 2022.

The number rose to 267 between May 2022 and April 2023, and the figure was at its highest between May 2023 and April 2024, with 350 incidents.