Croydon police officers and council representatives continued their fight against gangs by carrying out a weapon sweep in central Croydon last week.

Officers from the Operation Aries gang unit and Croydon Council wardens searched for hidden weapons on the Tamworth Road estate.

The visible reassurance patrol was designed to show regular, law-abiding residents, the police will not tolerate the use of weapons in the borough.

Sergeant Darin Birmingham said: “This is an area where youths are known to congregate and where residents have contacted us voicing their concerns.

“We are carrying out these patrols to alleviate some of the concerns residents have and to show them we take all calls regarding weapons seriously.

“The law-abiding people on this estate have a right to a safe environment to live in and that is what we intend to give them.”

The weapon sweep comes just days after a 13-year-old girl was arrested in Selsdon for possession of a firearm but later released.

The weapon, a replica automatic rifle, was found hidden under a wardrobe in the flat she shared with her brother and mother.

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