Moment police storm Telford caravan park as part of major operation tackling serious organised crime

A major cross‑force raid unfolded on Thursday as officers moved on several Shropshire addresses after a two‑year probe into serious and organised crime.

Most of Shropshire was still asleep in the early warmth of Thursday morning when dozens of police officers were gearing up for a series of raids linked to serious criminal offences, including modern slavery, burglary and drugs supply.

In packed, sweltering briefing rooms at Donnington and Madeley police stations, around 90 officers from West Mercia Police, Cheshire Police, Northumbria and Dyfed‑Powys Police gathered to hear the final instructions.

The two-year investigation, run by the force’s Child Exploitation Team, has been focused on the protection of vulnerable children, modern slavery and human trafficking offences, as well as criminality impacting rural communities and drug supply in the area.

By 7.15am, teams were ready to move on nine addresses across Telford and Broseley, aiming to arrest key suspects and seize evidence linking them to the crimes.

Just 15 minutes later, officers around the region were in position to execute the warrants in one fell swoop. We joined one of the teams at a residential caravan park in Telford to watch the operation unfold.

A convoy of marked and unmarked police cars swept into the site. Officers spilt out, surrounding two properties in seconds. At one door, the ‘big red key’ was used to knock out a panel and officers poured in. But inside, there was silence - no one was home.

At the same time, officers were swarming another property at the site and, within moments, were leading a man out in handcuffs and placing him into the back of a waiting police car to be taken into custody.

Elsewhere in Broseley and Telford, a similar picture was playing out. A total of six men, aged between 24 and 45, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and theft.

Five of the men were also arrested on suspicion of human trafficking. One man was further arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs and on suspicion of possession of a firearm, and one man was also arrested on suspicion of being in possession of class A drugs.

A 23-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. All seven remain in police custody as enquiries continue.

Detective Inspector Steve Goddard from West Mercia Police’s child exploitation team said: “Today’s activity was built on months of intelligence gathering and planning to secure the arrests of seven individuals who are suspected to be involved in serious and organised crime in Shropshire and beyond.

“We worked closely with Dyfed Powys, Cheshire, and Northumbria Police, who supported us on the operation in Shropshire, and whose communities have also felt the impact of organised crime.

“We do not underestimate the lasting impact these crimes have on people’s lives, and the livelihoods of those in the farming community, and want to assure you we are taking the necessary steps to rid our communities of this sort of criminality.

“We remain persistent in our efforts to dismantle organised crime groups and continue to ask the public to report information to us as it is vital to the work that we do.”