iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More

Drugs Crackdown In Central London Ahead Of Olympics

PA  |  Posted: Updated: 20/05/2012 10:06   PA

London Soho

Twenty people have been charged with drug offences in a pre-Olympic crackdown on one of Britain's most popular night-spots.

The suspects were held in Soho as part of a "New York-style" operation in London's West End.

Eighteen of their number were brought before Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday where one - Gary Reid, 46, of Kings Cross Road, Camden, pleaded guilty to offering to supply Class A drugs.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

Thirteen men and three women were remanded in custody to appear at Southwark Crown Court on June 12 while one woman was granted bail.

Two further suspects have yet to appear in the dock. They will be brought before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The operation, codenamed Trafalgar, has become Scotland Yard's biggest ever war on street crime in the area.

An additional 400 police officers are being drafted in on its busiest nights to target dangerous pedicab riders, petty thieves and violent drinkers in the tourist hubs of Soho, Leicester Square, Piccadilly and Covent Garden.

Assistant Commissioner Simon Byrne said the theatre district had become the focus of the 24-week operation because it was "the shopfront of London".
FOLLOW UK

Twenty people have been charged with drug offences in a pre-Olympic crackdown on one of Britain's most popular night-spots. The suspects were held in Soho as part of a "New York-style" operation in...
Twenty people have been charged with drug offences in a pre-Olympic crackdown on one of Britain's most popular night-spots. The suspects were held in Soho as part of a "New York-style" operation in...
Filed by Michael Rundle  | 
 
 
  • Comments
  • 30
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2  Next ›  Last »  (2 total)
Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
161 Fans
12:59 PM on 05/21/2012
Really? I thought policing was supposed to be working well! :-) In which case, why do they need a crack down?
Permalink  |
Evertrue
43 Fans
10:42 AM on 05/21/2012
Surely this should be the norm?
Permalink  |
brainhaydn
18 Fans
10:05 PM on 05/20/2012
A bit worrying for the Athletes.
Permalink  |
seymourpratt
23 Fans
09:56 PM on 05/20/2012
They're for the high jump !
Permalink  |
ferreteto
13 Fans
07:50 PM on 05/20/2012
see my comment about getting rid of the romanians who publicly urinate and cause a rise in crime and benefit payments has been removed. close the borders and send all those claiming benefits back to their own countries we would save a fortune and get the deficit down quicker
Permalink  |
malc19
9 Fans
11:45 AM on 05/21/2012
i couldnt agree more....
Permalink  |
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
coady12
38 Fans
06:28 PM on 05/20/2012
this is just a drop in the ocean, what difference is it going to make?
Permalink  |
This comment has been removed.
Permalink  |Show replies(1)
This comment has been removed.
Permalink  |Show replies(1)
themadmajor
73 Fans
04:19 PM on 05/20/2012
I was in South Devon today to see the Olympic Torch, and the little Devon & Cornwall police had to supplement their staff with manpower from the Met. It was not just the London vehicles which were in such high profile because there were even uniform officers from London too, and one can tell that from their 5ft 2" height (including helmet) and by their colour.

With so much of the Met on the route of the Olympic Torch one has to ask who is in London now to take care of the plethora of new drug dealers from Eastern Europe who can only see the capital as rather easy pickings. They will have a field day.

I am not surprised that the international bus companies are finding that business has built up well before the actual games start, and it would be rather interesting to count how many return compared to how many came over.

In order to demonstrate what a kind compassionate nation we are would those of you who reside near London be willing to be a host during the games to someone from another nation? I am sure you will get your reward in heaven even if you do not get a share of the pickings.
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Fozwords
Abandon hope when you post on here
192 Fans
04:35 PM on 05/20/2012
Were they that tall.
Permalink  |
hartillbrian
41 Fans
11:32 PM on 05/20/2012
Then the torch was flogged on eBay, ha,ha.
Permalink  |
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
janno000
60 Fans
04:12 PM on 05/20/2012
what about a crackdown on gun and knife crime in the parts of London the toursist won't see, that would be a better use of their time and money.
Permalink  |
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mirola
Read between the lines
39 Fans
04:39 PM on 05/20/2012
Why only London?, there's more to the UK then that place. Olympic games or not.
Permalink  |
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
janno000
60 Fans
04:51 PM on 05/20/2012
I said London because the article was about London, but of course these things need to tackled everywhere,. you would think though in general the UK only consisted of London.
Permalink  |
karen1963yorks
My micro bio was empty. Good.
332 Fans
07:57 PM on 05/20/2012
Or even a crackdown in non Olympic years?
Permalink  |
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
jmmcmkn
214 Fans
04:00 PM on 05/20/2012
Maybe it's to try to make up for all the Drug Cheat athletes the Olympic organisation said were allowed to compete?
Permalink  |
MELkay
34 Fans
03:39 PM on 05/20/2012
twenty people arrested, its common knowledge there are thousonds of east europeans here or on there way for theft and pickpocketing during the olypics, is our policing op to it . ????????????
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Norman Mitchison
92 Fans
 
03:21 PM on 05/20/2012
If the Police did their job properly there would not be a drugs problem.
Permalink  |
ferreteto
13 Fans
07:46 PM on 05/20/2012
if the home office and border agencies did their jobs then crime would drop
Permalink  |
karen1963yorks
My micro bio was empty. Good.
332 Fans
07:59 PM on 05/20/2012
Well how many times do you expect them to arrest Pete Doherty etc? Its the courts that keep letting them go.
Permalink  |
This comment has been removed.
Permalink  |Show replies(1)
allanenergy
56 Fans
02:34 PM on 05/20/2012
Why just pre olympics and not all the time.
Permalink  |
cantabria
my default position is wrong
363 Fans
02:51 PM on 05/20/2012
I was about to say that, so it's only the people coming to the olympics that matter? Everyone else the rest of the year can get ripped off and poisoned, well I suppose that's what they pay their commission for.
Permalink  |
Real Change Not Farce
61 Fans
12:53 PM on 05/20/2012
Just goes to show what can be done when they think its worth while, its a disgrace that the ordinary person in the street is not worth the effort in day to day life.
Permalink  |
Page: 1 2  Next ›  Last »  (2 total)