Police teams carrying out a day of action in the Crawley area as part of Operation Safety on Saturday (13 February) made four arrests.

At 11.30am, officers stopped a vehicle in Station Hill due to a defective tail light. Upon speaking to the driver, officers could reportedly smell cannabis and a roadside drug test was carried out which he failed.

The driver – a 30-year-old man from Crawley – was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Shortly before 2pm, officers stopped a vehicle on the M23 southbound near Handcross and carried out a search. Six large vacuum packed bags of herbal cannabis were seized, with an estimated street value of £20,000 and the driver was arrested.

Silver Shele, 21, of Letchworth Street, London, has been charged with possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply and remanded to appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday (15 February).

At 3.15pm, three males were seen to run from police in Memorial Gardens, Crawley. Officers located them following a foot pursuit. A backpack was discarded and was found to contain empty deal bags and a hammer.

Two 15-year-old boys from Crawley were arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. They have been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

Police Sergeant Elizabeth Reschwamm said:

“We are taking robust action to help keep our communities safer.

“Carrying weapons is extremely dangerous and although some people may carry them to feel safer – it actually puts you at more risk of coming to harm.

“We will continue to address these issues through our days of targeted action and by engaging with the public to raise awareness.

“Anyone with information or concerns is asked to make the right call and report it to us online or by calling 101.”