SEVEN men were arrested after the latest operation targeting criminal activity along Essex’s borders with London and Hertfordshire.

Operation Claymore is Essex Police-led but also involves officers from the Metropolitan and Hertfordshire police forces.

The cross-force team track down vehicles believed to be involved in crime using hits from automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, with a particular focus on areas in and around Harlow and Epping Forest.

They were supported by specialists from our Dog, Roads, Raptor, and Community Policing teams, as well as the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).

The men arrested were suspected of offences including possession of drugs with intent to supply, possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage, drug driving and drink driving.

Two vehicles were seized, including one reported stolen from another county in the days before the operation.

There were also 33 stop and searches made on the night with 23 intelligence reports submitted.

This is the sixth time the three forces have worked together on Claymore and so far 50 arrests have been made.

PC Ross Ashcroft coordinated the operation. He said: “We are targeting organised criminal gangs who are using the road network to commit offences including burglary, theft, and the supply of drugs.

“These criminals are travelling between counties and from one force area to another. We want to prevent them from crossing the borders and committing those offences.

“Getting different forces and teams to work together and share intelligence about the people and groups committing high-harm crime is invaluable.

“By having specialist officers proactively hunting down vehicles linked to crime, we are making it an incredibly hostile environment for these individuals to operate in and providing a significant deterrent.”