Snowfall Doesn’t Stop Oldham Crime Crackdown as 38 Arrested in Major Operation

Heavy snowfall failed to deter Greater Manchester Police as officers arrested 38 people during a major day of action across Oldham on Tuesday. The operation, part of the district’s ongoing Operation AVRO initiative, saw hundreds of officers deployed in high-visibility patrols targeting neighbourhood crime, sex offenders and firearms incidents.

The crackdown yielded significant results beyond the arrests, with over 150 traffic stops conducted, five vehicles seized and 16 traffic offence reports submitted. Officers also carried out seven positive stop searches and issued more than 120 fines on the Bee Network for fare evasion. Trading Standards teams seized over 1,000 illegal vapes valued at more than £12,000 during six separate visits.

Transport Unit officers set up knife arches at multiple locations along the Mumps line during the morning commute, while neighbourhood teams educated shoppers at Elk Mill Retail Park and the Spindles town centre. Four immigration warrants were executed in locations including Sholver, and a major traffic operation on Broadway in Chadderton resulted in three taxi licence revocations and 11 traffic offence reports. One driver was arrested for drug driving in conditions that police said “could have caused serious injury to an innocent member of public.”

Oldham Chief Superintendent Estelle Mathieson said the operation demonstrated the force’s commitment to building on 2024’s improvements. “This day of action was a good opportunity to engage more with our local residents to listen and act on what they say around what they feel is affecting their lives that we can do something positive about,” she said. “We will be relentless in our pursuit of criminals, whilst being tenacious and determined to the get the right outcome for victims that have suffered.”

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