Northumbria Police have made eight arrests following a targeted day of action in South Tyneside.

Eight people have been arrested after Northumbria Police carried out a targeted day of action across South Tyneside as part of Operation Impact.

The arrests were made on Friday, October 9, as officers carried out the robust approach that saw drugs, weapons and money seized.

placeholder image — Police have made eight arrests in South Tyneside as part of Operation Impact. | Other 3rd Party

Operation Impact

An early-morning raid at a commercial premises in South Shields led to four weapons, including two machetes, a taser, drugs and a large amount of cash being seized by officers with the help of the Force’s Dog Unit.

Three men, aged 29, 37 and 46, were arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon - all have since been released on bail.

Officers seized cash after executing warrants in South Shields. | Other 3rd Party

Another warrant in South Shields saw a large number of unregulated slimming jabs seized, along with snap-bags, scales and a large quantity of cash.

The day also saw police arrest a further five people for offences such as overstaying their visa conditions and failing to appear.

The mounted unit patrolled the Whiteleas and Biddick Hall areas, which saw members of the public engaging with the horses and asking questions.

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Unregulated slimming jabs were also seized by Northumbria Police. | Other 3rd Party

‘This is what policing is about’

Chief Inspector Phil Baker, of Northumbria Police, has stated that the Force is committed to tackling crime across South Tyneside and has urged anyone with information about criminality in the borough to come forward and speak to officers.

He said: “This is what policing is about – disrupting criminals and getting dangerous weapons and drugs off the street.

“It was a highly proactive day of enforcement, disruption and community engagement.

“We are committed to being there for the public when they need us most, as well as listening to their concerns and tackling issues that matter in local communities.

Two machetes were among a haul of weapons that police discovered during a raid at a South Shields commercial premises. | Other 3rd Party

“We’d urge people to continue working with us by sharing information about suspected criminality to help us to take action against those who think it is acceptable to cause disruption in their neighbourhoods.”

Anyone who wishes to report any suspicious behaviour in their area is asked to send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media or use the live chat and report forms on the Force’s website, at: https://www.northumbria.police.uk/.

If you’re unable to make contact in the above ways, then you should call 101 or in the event of an emergency, 999.