Improvements being made to people’s lives in the Whitefield area of Bury
Operation Vardar, led by Inspector Gareth Edwards, has significantly reduced crime in Whitefield, Bury, by targeting anti-social behaviour, knife crime, and drug dealing. The operation has seized drugs, weapons, and stolen vehicles, and plans to install lockable gates in a problematic ginnel, converting it into a community garden. The team has also improved housing conditions, secured funding for video doorbells, and won a district policing award. A community day is planned for June 2025 to engage residents further.
Operation Vardar Seizes Drugs, Weapons and Stolen Vehicles in Whitefield Crackdown
Whitefield’s streets saw eight off-road bikes, 15 offensive weapons and more than a kilogram of Class A drugs seized in September as Inspector Gareth Edwards launched Operation Vardar to tackle surging violence. The Neighbourhood Policing Team’s first stage recovered 500g of heroin, 503g of crack cocaine, 172g of ketamine, 78.5g of MDMA, 539g of cannabis and over 700 cannabis plants, while three stolen vehicles were returned to their owners.
The crackdown targeted a ginnel between Sawley Avenue and Malton Avenue that recorded 67 crimes within a 100-metre radius in 2024, including serious violence and injuries. Bury Council is now implementing a public space protection order to install lockable gates across the trouble spot, with plans to transform the area into a community garden funded by Greater Manchester Police.
PC Keiran Stodart revealed the operation’s wider impact: “During the consultation process, officers from the team identified properties that required remedial work. The council’s housing services were quick to service numerous repairs in properties across Whitefield.” The team established a Sensitive Lets policy with Bury Council Housing Services, requiring GMP vetting for prospective Whitefield tenants, and secured video doorbells for Ripon Close properties to aid evidence gathering against substance misuse.
The Whitefield Neighbourhood Team, recently honoured with a district policing award for Problem Solving Operation of the Year, will host a community day on 7 June 2025 at St Bernadette’s School. The free event, featuring tactical units, mounted police, emergency services displays and a birds of prey exhibition, opens with a silent hour for visitors with disabilities or special educational needs.
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