Hemlington community praised amid anti-social behaviour operation

More than 37 arrests have been made as part of an operation to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime in part of Middlesbrough.

Patrols in the Hemlington area were stepped up after a spate of disorder.

Drugs with a street value of more than £10,000 have also been seized as part of Operation Fortress, which started in late-February.

A number of weapons have also been recovered including a machete and knuckle duster.

The operation involved Cleveland Fire Brigade, Middlesbrough Council, local schools and Thirteen Housing.

'Know where children are'

Supt Rachel Stockdale, of Cleveland Police, thanked the community for coming forward.

"We can only deal with what we know about, so I'd like to continue to urge local residents to contact us should they wish to report any issues around crime or antisocial behaviour," she said

"Again, I would encourage parents and carers in the area to know where their children are and what they're getting up to, particularly with the school holidays approaching.

"There have been a number of reports of youths setting fires, so we'd also ask parents to check that their children don't have access to lighters and matches."