Cleveland Police, HMIC and Trading Standards carried out a number of raids on Murray Street and Charterhouse Street in Hartlepool this morning.

The raids were carried out as part of Operation Sentinel in a bid to crack down on criminal activity after members of the public raised concerns over criminality in their communities.

A barbers and a convenience store on Murray Street and a property on Charterhouse Street were targeted in total.

Hartlepool Neighbourhood Sergeant Adrian Dack said: “The operation today has been a success and we have confiscated a large amount of tobacco and cigarettes which would have no doubt have been sold illegally on the streets of Hartlepool.

“Today’s operation wasn’t solely about recovering illegal goods, it was also to highlight to our communities that we do listen to them and we will do everything we can to disrupt criminal activity.

“The safety and welfare of members of the public is our utmost priority and if we can crack down on criminal activity we will go out of our way to do it. I would like to thank officers from the Force and partner agencies for their hard work and dedication today.”