Eleven arrested and £5k of drugs seized as part of police operation in south Cumbria

Officers from a number of departments have focused on 'acquisitive crime' - such as burglaries - following concerns and intelligence raised by members of the public.

The operation, named Operation Specialised, also linked into drug supply due to the connection between drugs and this type of crime.

"This week saw numerous policing departments working together to focus on acquisitive crime and we are pleased with the number of arrests that have been made," said Sergeant Jim Bailey, of Cumbria police.

"This is not a one-off, police in south Cumbria execute warrants on addresses believed to be linked to crime every week of the year and we will continue to do so in the battle against acquisitive crime.

"There is a clear link between acquisitive crime and drugs.

"Criminals are opportunists who steal and burgle in order to make money to feed their drug habits.

"This is no excuse, the impact this has on innocent members of the community will not be tolerated by police and we will continue to investigate and bring offenders to justice.

"The message is clear, one burglary is too many and we will continue to crackdown on this behaviour."

During the week, warrants were executed on seven addresses and over 150 vehicles were stopped and checked.

This resulted in nine arrests being made, including:

• Mareille Gold, aged 42, of Storey Square, Barrow, charged in possession of Class A controlled drugs, namely methadone. She is due to appear at Furness & District Magistrates Court on the October 2.

• Steven Dyer, aged 41, of Egerton Court, Barrow, charged in connection with theft. He was due to appear at Furness & District Magistrates Court on September 15.

• Ian Wharton, aged 38, of School Street, charged in connection with abstracting electricity. He is due to appear at Furness & District Magistrates Court on the September 30.

• A 35 year old man from Ulverston, arrested on suspicion of producing a Class B controlled drug, namely cannabis. He received a caution.

• A 41 year old woman from Barrow, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply drugs. She has been bailed until October 30.

• A 25 year old man from Barrow, arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm. He has been bailed until October 8.

• A 23 year old man from Barrow, arrested on suspicion of abstracting electricity. He has been bailed until October 22.

• A 42 year old man from Barrow, arrested on suspicion of a non-payment of a fine. He was bailed to court.

• A 33 year old woman from Barrow, arrested on suspicion of a non-payment of a fine. She was bailed to court.

• A 24 year old woman from Barrow, arrested on suspicion of a non-payment of a fine. She was bailed to court.

• A 23 year old man from Barrow, arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm and taking a vehicle without consent. He is currently in custody helping officers with their enquiries.

A number of stolen goods and controlled drugs were recovered, including amphetamine and cocaine, worth a street value of £5,000 collectively.

Chief Inspector David Bosson said: "I'd like to reassure the public that burglary is a key priority for police in the south Cumbria area and there is lot of hard work that our officers are conducting in both preventing and detecting crime.

"We are not complacent and believe that there is always room to improve.

“Burglaries can leave a lasting impact on a victim, changing their mind-set on how safe they feel in their own home and community.

"Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, officers strive to make areas across south Cumbria a safe place to live, work and visit.

"We would also like to send out a strong message to those that do engage in acquisitive or drug related crime. We are targeting you and we will do everything in our power to bring you to justice."

Anyone with information about suspicious activity in their area is asked to contact police on 101 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.