Police stop car in Wealden and arrest man for drink-driving and offensive weapons

In addition to Operation Blitz – officers went out in plain clothes – paying attention to Hailsham Cinema, due to recent damage caused, as well as Asda, Tesco and Waitrose – where a large group of unknown youths were spoken to and dispersed for the remainder of the evening, said the force.

One man was searched outside Coral betting shop in High Street, Uckfield, police said, after officers smelt a strong smell of drugs coming from men outside the shop. It resulted in the man being issued with a Community Resolution and referred to the drug referral scheme.

Police said a vehicle was later stopped after driving in an anti-social manner.

A spokesman said: “The male ran from the vehicle and was detained by officers and was arrested for drink-driving, with other offences including theft of vehicle/number plates, and offensive weapons being looked into.”

Officers also teamed up with British Transport Police at Uckfield station following ongoing issues with groups at the station.

A number of young adults were stopped, and dispersed, police said, with return joint operations planned by both Wealden Police and BTP over the next coming weekends.

Wealden Prevention Inspector Jonathan Gross said: “We understand the community’s concerns and are working across all the towns, parishes and villages in Wealden to engage with residents.

“We are continuing to work very closely with councils and other authorities in Wealden, and also regularly share intelligence with other districts within Sussex Police, and other police forces, in a bid to identify those responsible for crimes in the area and bring them to justice.

“It is crucial that people continue to report crimes to us. Every report we receive is useful intelligence for us to work on.”

To contact the police when it is a non-emergency, search Sussex Police online or call 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.