Zombie knife, pick axe, designer clothes and drugs seized in swoop on town's suspected criminals

Police carried out early morning raids today in an operation to target a town's criminals. Homes in Dumbarton Drive and Queen's Park Road in Heywood were targeted after intelligence on drug dealing and burglaries was received in recent weeks.

At Queen’s Park Road, one man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class B drugs, with one woman in her 20s arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

A quantity of cannabis with a street worth of several hundred pounds and suspected cocaine was discovered during a search. A zombie knife, a pickaxe and designer clothing were also seized.

Throughout the morning and into the afternoon, officers maintained a presence in the community, visiting anti-social behaviour hotspots and providing high-visibility patrols.

The 7am raids were part of Operation Challenger, run across Greater Manchester to tackle serious and organised crime, working closely with neighbourhood teams to tackle issues that trickle down from organised crime groups.

Knife sweeps of ginnels and roads were conducted by PCSOs, who also supported other activities in the day. By checking bushes and undergrowth – where some people may hide bladed articles – officers can ensure dangerous weapons are kept out of circulation.

Further work during the day included visits to businesses under Operation Vigilant, involving a team of specialist police officers and social workers. The operation is intelligence led and sees the partnerships carrying out visits to protect young people from all types of exploitation.

Sergeant Matthew Honey, from GMP's Heywood Neighbourhood Team, said: “When we receive reports of crime, we investigate, attend, arrest and prosecute where