POLICE will be out in force this week to target a wide variety of offences in the run up to Christmas in the Middlesbrough town centre area.

Operation Enforce began on Friday, December 12 and includes targeting the use and supply of drugs, theft, burglary, licensing and kerb crawling.

Sergeant Paul Allen, from Middlesbrough town centre neighbourhood policing team, said: “Officers are deliberately targeting a number of crimes across a broad spectrum, these crimes are some of many that regularly cause misery to the communities that we serve and we seek to cause as much disruption as possible to those that carry out these crimes in the run up to Christmas.

“We will be utilising all the resources that are available to us throughout the days of action and we will be working alongside partners and other agencies.

“Residents in the area should be assured that we have listened to the concerns and issues that they have raised and that we are acting upon them.”