Police dog Roxy helps uncover drugs as arrests are made in crime crackdown at train station

Arrests were made during an operation involving a drug detection dog as part of a joint police and council crime crackdown at Wakefield’s main railway station.

Police dog Roxy, who is highly trained to detect class A and B drugs, was on hand to help sniff out offenders during two days of action at Wakefield Westgate.

The activity was part of the Speak Against Violence Every Day initiative which ran throughout September.

PC Gleeson, of Wakefield Central Neighbourhood Policing Team, said officers had targeted a number of hotspots within the city centre, including the bus station and the area around Wakefield Cathedral.

He said: “The purpose of this operation is really just to see how drugs are being trafficked in and around Wakefield city centre.

“We are trying to reduce the amount of drugs into Wakefield.

“People commit crime to fund their drug habits and it does have a massive effect, whether it’s stealing from shops or from houses, or associated gang violence that comes with it.

“It has a massive effect on the community.

“Tackling the route of drug supply into Wakefield and the surrounding area helps make the city centre become a lot safer.”

Two seizures of class B drugs were made during the operation and two further arrests were made for unrelated matters.

One person was arrested on suspicion of robbery and theft offences, and a second person was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Police and the council said they would continue to work together on joint operations to target offenders.

Deputy council leader John Thomas said: “We are the safest district within West Yorkshire, so everything we can do to improve on that is within our remit to do.

“We absolutely will not tolerate any negative behaviour that has an impact on our communities and our residents within Wakefield district.”