Over 1000 stop checks completed and nearly 30 arrested following immigration and night‑time economy operation

Over 220 officers from across the Constabulary have taken part in a month‑long organised immigration crime and night‑time economy safety operation.

Between Friday 13 February and Sunday 15 March, officers from Cheshire Police’s Foreign National Offender Team, with assistance from Home Office Immigration, carried out 24 proactive deployments across the county.

The purpose of the operation, conducted in town centres and night‑time economy settings, was to complete immigration checks on delivery drivers, ensuring they were legally allowed to work in the UK and were not being exploited under modern slavery offences.

In line with the Constabulary’s ongoing priorities, officers also focused on tackling violence against women and girls.

Officers were further supported by local authority CCTV operators, who monitored areas in real time, enabling the prevention of crime and rapid response to any emerging incidents.

The efforts of the team resulted in 600 people and 483 vehicles being stopped by officers.

These stops led to 27 arrests, 11 of which were directly linked to immigration offences and illegal working.

Other outcomes from the operation included:

• 150 immigration status checks completed with the National Command and Control Unit
• 80 traffic reports issued
• 38 stop searches conducted
• 28 vehicles seized (including cars and e‑bikes)

During the deployment on 21 February, a 16‑year‑old boy was found drinking at a commercial premises in Crewe and was subsequently taken home by officers. Trading Standards have since been contacted regarding a review of the premises’ licensing.

On the same evening, a 62‑year‑old man from Shrewsbury was arrested by Operation Ascertain officers, who were first on the scene at Chester Railway Station responding to reports of a sexual assault by touching. He was also arrested on suspicion of aggravated public order and Section 39 assault. British Transport Police are progressing the investigation.

On 29 February, officers in Halton stopped a registered sex offender who was found to be driving without insurance and a licence. He has since been summonsed to court.

On 15 March, officers arrested a 29‑year‑old man from the Ashton‑in‑Makerfield area of Wigan on suspicion of possession of cannabis. He has since been issued with a community resolution.

Operational lead Detective Sergeant Lauren Henthorn said:

“Conducting over 1,000 individual stops is no small feat, and these results were only possible due to the combined efforts of the officers deployed across the county and the support of our partner organisations. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for helping us achieve such outcomes.

“The work carried out under Operation Ascertain forms just one part of our wider ongoing efforts to keep residents across Cheshire safe and ensure that those working within our towns are doing so legally and safely, without being exploited for free labour.

“We often find that those involved in the exploitation of vulnerable people are also linked to other forms of criminality, including wide‑scale drug and human trafficking offences. This is why we remain committed to doing all we can to identify those responsible.

“I also hope these results provide reassurance to residents county‑wide that officers are out in their communities and night‑time economy settings, working proactively to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves without fear of having their night disrupted or ruined by those who do not know how to behave.”

Detective Chief Inspector Danielle Knox, of the Force Intelligence Bureau, added:

“Operation Ascertain shines a spotlight on the work our officers do every single day of the year to protect and safeguard vulnerable people in Cheshire.

“In line with Cheshire Constabulary’s core principles, a key focus of this operation was ensuring that women, girls, and everyone enjoying our night‑time economy venues across the county can do so without risk of harm.

“While this operation represents just a snapshot of a month of deployments, this is very much business as usual for us, and we will always do everything we can to keep our residents safe.”

Anyone with information relating to child abuse or exploitation, or who has concerns about someone’s safety, should contact Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or report online via the force website.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.