DRUGS and stolen goods were seized and illegal fireworks uncovered after police launched a series of raids aimed at cracking down on prolific criminals in York.

The day of action, under the banner Operation Artefact, focused on outlying areas of the city, and officers are now sifting through a large haul of property which is believed to have come from crime.

They are looking to make an arrest after the discovery of drugs in Chapelfields.

They also carried out test purchases at 13 York businesses and found fireworks were being illegally sold at one of the premises, while illicit tobacco was discovered at another.

The Press joined the Chapelfields raid, which saw more than a dozen officers storm a house following tip-offs from the public. A battering ram was used to break down the door of the house, where a quantity of suspected drugs were found.

Police also concentrated on the Strensall area, which has seen a recent rise in burglaries.

PC Lailah Nijaila said parts of York tended to suffer an increase in crime during the longer winter evenings. She and her teams visited 40 streets in Strensall and handed out more than 1,000 crime prevention leaflets.

Other aspects of Operation Artefact – which also involved City of York Council – saw vehicle checks carried out at hotspots for roads offences, including the A64, and speed enforcement patrols on the A19 at Skelton. Three police warrants were executed during the crackdown – one under the Misuse of Drugs Act at the Chapelfields property and two under the Theft Act at separate addresses in New Earswick, one of which resulted in stolen property being found.

Inspector Jo Brooksbank said: “It has been a very successful day.

“We have had a positive response specifically for one of the warrants, which led to one arrest and a large amount of stolen property recovered.

“We currently have a 13.3 per cent crime reduction in York, and we wanted to continue to build on this by working with other agencies in the city.

“We want to let those who prey on vulnerable people and premises in the community know that we will take a positive response to any information and intelligence we receive.

“In the winter months, we can see a spike in crime which affects these people and premises, so we want to do all we can to prevent that and protect local residents.”

Litter patrols and building checks by the council environment team also formed part of the operation, with officers visiting a number of hotspots relating to commercial waste inspections, littering, fly tipping and fly posting.

Cycle-tagging and crime prevention advice on areas such as securing homes, sheds and garages during the winter were also provided for residents.

A York court warrants officer also visited 18 addresses in the area over unpaid fines.