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Police launch crackdown on violent crimes in Spalding




Operation Hammersmith, a crackdown on violent crime in Spalding, launches at The Punchbowl, New Road, Spalding. Photo by Tim Wilson. SG-150918-175TW
Operation Hammersmith, a crackdown on violent crime in Spalding, launches at The Punchbowl, New Road, Spalding. Photo by Tim Wilson. SG-150918-175TW

A new police operation aimed at tackling a "steady increase" in violent crime in Spalding town centre has been launched.

Operation Hammersmith will see increased police patrols in the town centre leading up to Christmas after the head of policing in South Holland confirmed there had been a 30 per cent increase in the number of violent crimes reported over recent months.

Inspector Gareth Boxall, neighbourhood policing inspector for South Holland, was joined by a team of nine officers and PCSOs who met with people outside The Punchbowl, in New Road, and Loaded Nightclub, in Westlode Street, where drug swabs were taken to identify anyone taking cocaine, ketamine, amphetamine and MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy.

Out of about 350 people tested outside the two venues, five were stopped and searched, with one person being cautioned for cannabis possession.

Inspector Boxall said: "We've seen a bit of a steady increase in violent crime in the town centre so we're going to have an increased police presence here.

PCSO Jane Gardner, Coun Anthony Casson, portfolio holder for public protection, South Holland District Council, Inspector Gareth Boxall outside The Punchbowl, Spalding, for the launch of Operation Hammersmith, a crackdown on violent crime in the town centre. Photo by Tim Wilson. SG-150918-172TW
PCSO Jane Gardner, Coun Anthony Casson, portfolio holder for public protection, South Holland District Council, Inspector Gareth Boxall outside The Punchbowl, Spalding, for the launch of Operation Hammersmith, a crackdown on violent crime in the town centre. Photo by Tim Wilson. SG-150918-172TW

"But we have to balance what goes on in the town with what goes on across the rest of the district and over recent years, we've seen such demand widen.

"A lot of people have said 'We don't see any police in the town anymore'.

"But we mainly go where the need takes us and if there are incidents elsewhere in the district, that's where we'll go."

According to the Police UK website, reports of violent and sexual offences in Spalding town centre rose from 34 in January to 44 in July, an increase of nearly 30 per cent.

Inspector Boxall said: "Previously, when we've looked into what has caused violent crime, the night-time economy hasn't been a significant part of that.

"But it's started to become fairly significant and, although the way crime is recorded changes, violent crime isn't going down.

"Very often, these offences are against vulnerable people and 32 per cent of offences have involved domestic abuse which is one of the other themes which link directly to the causes of violence that Operation Hammersmith will be looking at."

As well as police from South Holland, two officers from Lincolnshire Police's licensing department were in Spalding with drug itemiser kits to carry out the swab tests.

Sergeant Kim Enderby, one of the licensing team who took part on Saturday, said: "We're rolling it out across the county as recreational drug use is a major part of the night-time economy.

"But whilst there's an enforcement element to it, Operation Hammersmith is as much about educating people as to the health issues surrounding drugs as it is about helping us realise what drugs are being used."

The drug testing took place with the support of Matt Clark, whose Activ Group owns Loaded, and licensee of The Punchbowl, Pete Williams.

He said: "When I had a phone call from Inspector Boxall asking me if I would mind allowing people to have their hands swabbed at the pub, I told him that I'd welcome it with open arms.

"It's beyond our reach to stoop anybody taking drugs away from our premises.

"But we do an amazing job in stopping people coming into the pub with drugs, taking them and supplying them whilst on the premises.

"It's great to work with the police and feel part of slowing down the drugs problems in our town."

Mr Clark said: "It's brilliant that the police are investing in crime reduction measures in the town.

"We've had these drugs tests at Loaded on a number of occasion before as we have a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs use on our premises.

"This police operation Hammersmith is something we're very happy to be involved in and it shows that the night-time economy is working with the police to keep reports of violence down in Spalding."

Inspector Boxall said: "We're in a pretty good place to say that Spalding isn't a drugs capital and, across the board, we have a good working relationship with the night-time economy here.

"But we have a job to do, along with South Holland District Council, in making sure that licensees run their premises responsibly."



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