Police seized illegal vapes, caught speeding drivers and carried out stop searches during a day of action.

Operation Crossbow took place on Monday (June 23), with over 100 officers deployed to towns across Cheshire East.

It formed part of Cheshire Police's efforts to disrupt criminals abusing the road networks in Cheshire East, as well as tackling immigration and modern-day slavery offences.

Here in Macclesfield, officers accompanied by a sniffer dog carried out 16 stop searches at the train station, handing out three community resolutions and two court summons for possession of cannabis.

Police also seized a 'large quantity' of illegal vapes with an estimated street value of £2,000 at two premises, with fines issued by Trading Standards to the owners.

They also carried out speed enforcement on Buxton Road, with eight vehicles caught breaking the 30mph speed limit.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: "Our officers are committed to protecting our communities and work tirelessly every day to prevent and disrupt criminal activity.

"This latest operation shows just a small snapshot of their unwavering efforts as these are all areas in which we excel at day in, day out, and are part of our everyday policing tactics to continue to keep people safe and reduce crime.

"Operations like this send out a strong message that Cheshire is a hostile environment for those who wish to commit crime and that anyone who chooses to abuse our roads will be located and held accountable for their actions."

Over 100 Cheshire Police officers were deployed as part of the operation (Credit: Cheshire Police)

Cheshire Police were joined by Staffordshire Police and British Transport Police, Trading Standards, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the Motorway Insurance Bureau.

Colleagues from Immigration Enforcement and the Home Office also took part, carrying out visits to addresses linked to modern day slavery and immigration offences.

A number of actions were executed throughout the day, including weight checks of vehicles carrying heavy loads on the motorways, stop and search operations in railway stations, and stopping drivers who were without insurance, not wearing seatbelts, and being distracted by mobile phones or Sat Navs whilst behind the wheel.

Officers also visited commercial premises to locate and seize illegal tobacco and vape products, conduct extradition warrants and arrest outstanding offenders.

The overall results from the day included:

• 161 speeding activations (Hand-held and Static Van)
• 56 TORS issued
• 35 stop searches (11 of which positive)
• 26 Op Learn (HGV security) engagements
• 19 checks at locations for Immigration and Trading Standards - including several fines issued, one person arrested on Extradition Warrant, two illegal workers detained, 3500 illegal vapes seized worth around £5000, with multiple follow ups for Trading Standards.
• 14 Arrests
• 11 PG9 notices issued
• 11 Community Resolutions issued
• 6 Vehicle Seizures
• 3 Postal Requisitions submitted
• 2 PNDs issued in relation to parking
• 1 yellow card issued
• Op Vigilant (child exploitation) deployments at various locations across the east

14 arrests were made throughout the day (Credit: Cheshire Police)

Chief Inspector Cameron Taylor, who the oversaw operational response, said: "The successful operation is a testament to the hard work of the many officers from several departments across the Constabulary and our partner organisations coming together to directly target criminality within the eastern area of Cheshire.

"We have seen a high number of traffic offences reported and several vehicles seized that were either being driven dangerously, were not safe to be driven or incorrectly insured, thus further limiting the likelihood of incidents and continually making Cheshire's roads safe for those who live, work and travel through the county. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partner agencies as well as our officers from the Roads and Crime Unit and our Local Policing teams in their activity across the eastern area of the county as part of Operation Crossbow. Their proactivity and engagement have helped us identify and remove drivers that should not have gotten behind the wheel.

"Alongside taking proactive action against those misusing the roads, we also used the deployment as an opportunity to provide education to motorists, familiarising them with the Fatal Five offences and utilising the team from the Commercial Vehicles Unit to ensure drivers carrying heavy loads along our roads were aware of the appropriate regulations regarding how much they can legally carry.

"I hope this sends out a strong message that if you commit crime in Cheshire, or on Cheshire's roads, you will be caught, and we will utilise all of the tactics and resources at our disposal to ensure you are held accountable."