Hyndburn Police were out again this week, continuing with Operation Rally, a dedicated day of intensified action to tackle the top concerns raised by local residents, visitors and businesses in the area.

Neighbourhood officers focused on engaging with residents and business in and around Accrington town centre, an area flagged for concern by the local community through Lancashire Talking.

In total, 28 businesses throughout Hyndburn received dedicated Op Vulture packs to help streamline the process for reporting shoplifting, gathering evidence and offering the opportunity to sign up to Nice2Share, new evidence gathering tool. Officers also spent time in the Accrington Arndale Centre, giving members of the public the chance to speak to us directly about concerns in their area.

Officers were out on high-visibility patrol throughout the day, and they were joined by the mobile police station, which was based at Tesco, Eagle Street, where they offered crime prevention advice, safeguarding guidance, and helped residents sign up to both Lancashire Talking and Nice2Share. Colleagues from the Mounted Branch were also an integral part of the operation, joining officers on patrol in the town centre.

In support of the national Sceptre week of action, a knife arch was placed at Accrington Bus Station, with approximately 300 members of the public taking part. The response was overwhelmingly positive and provided a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness around knife crime and personal safety.

In the evening, officers hosted a “Meet Your Local Officers” event back at Tesco, engaging with the community and helping to deter anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.

One of the concerns raised by the local community was road safety. As part of the operation 18 vehicles were stopped and one taxi was removed from the roads for failing to meet legal standards. Due to some targeting work a 22-year-old man from Accrington was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and threats to commit criminal damage.

Inspector Mohammed Lorgat from the Hyndburn Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Our team are committed to addressing the concerns raised by our communities. Days like this are a key part of our wider neighbourhood policing approach — working visibly and directly with the public to build trust and solve problems together.

“We urge residents to continue sharing their views with us through Lancashire Talking, so we can keep targeting the issues that matter most in your area.”

If you haven’t already, take a moment to fill out the Lancashire Talking survey and sign up to In the Know to stay updated with policing activity and community safety news in your area https://www.stayintheknow.co.uk