OVER the weekend, officers from Operational Police Command have made eight arrests, tackling crime and keeping you safe.

On 17 December, officers arrested four people, three of whom were arrested on suspicion of GBH in two separate incidents and one on suspicion of rape.

A further four arrests were made following information received about a car being linked to a theft from a shop in Braintree Village.

Officers stopped the Citroen Grand Picasso in Harlow.

Enquiries at the scene established the car was on false plates and when the car was searched, officers found goods valued at £300 (mostly clothing), and believed to be stolen, in the boot.

Four females from London – aged 16, 25, 29 and 59 – were all arrested on suspicion of theft of goods from a shop and handling stolen goods.

The 59-year-old woman was further arrested on suspicion of driving without a licence and no insurance and the uninsured vehicle was seized.

All eight remain in police custody for questioning.

OPC leader, Superintendent Philip Stinger, said: “Despite the bad weather, policing still goes on. My officers are still patrolling, still tackling high harm crimes, still keeping people safe and still catching criminals.

“Safeguarding our community is our priority, and we do so many things during the course of our patrols that have a positive impact.