Sixty parking fines issued as police clamp down on crime and other offences in Millfield

More than 200 parking tickets have been handed out as part of a police operation in Millfield, Peterborough.

The sixth phase of Operation Siphon, which tackles concerns raised by members of the community in and around the Millfield area, was held on Thursday and Friday last week.

Over the two days, officers from the eastern Peterborough Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), Special Constabulary and Neighbourhood Support Team (NST) were joined by parking and environmental enforcement officers from Peterborough City Council.

Police officers carried out stop-searches of ten people; one of whom was arrested for failing to attend court, another for being in possession with intent to supply cannabis, and one was given a community resolution for being in possession of a small amount of cannabis.

Working alongside the local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO), council enforcement officers issued 60 penalty charge notices (PCNs) for parking offences including on double yellow lines, in loading bays, disabled bays and resident permit holder only areas. Two FPNs were also issued for littering offences.

One of those stop-searched was 30-year-old Mohammed Nasarat in Church Walk, who was found in possession of several identification documents and bank cards in other people’s names.

He was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and later linked to several offences, resulting in him being charged with:

- theft from a motor vehicle – namely a wallet, in Andrews Crescent in Paston on 13 February

- two counts of fraud by false representation – namely using stolen bank cards

- vehicle interference in Church Walk, Millfield, on 21 March

- theft by finding– namely a new driving licence

- burglary including theft of a wallet, aftershave and wireless earphones – relating to an incident in Highbury Street, Millfield, on 28 March

- assaulting an emergency worker by beating – namely a police officer at Peterborough City Hospital on 3 April

- escaping lawful custody – namely fleeing Peterborough City Hospital while under arrest on 3 April

Nasarat, of Harris Street in Peterborough, admitted the offences in court on Monday (4 April) and will be sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on 3 May.

The team also located a stolen vehicle and returned it to its owner, carried out vehicle and premises searches in connection with the man arrested for drug supply, and issued two traffic offence reports for having no insurance as well as ten fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for an array of parking related offences.

The operation, which has now been running periodically for a year, has seen a total of:

225 fixed penalty notices issued for parking offences

90 penalty charge notices issued for parking offences

32 traffic offence reports issued

98 people stop-searched

12 people arrested

10 vehicles stop-searched

15 vehicles seized

8 people cautioned

12 people given words of advice

2 fixed penalty notices issued for littering offences

PC Laura Henning, from the Eastern NPT, said: “Operation Siphon has been running for a year now, in addition to regular patrols, problem solving work and day-to-day neighbourhood policing by the Eastern NPT, which covers areas including Millfield, Central Park, Eastfield and Dogsthorpe, to tackle drug dealing and related crime, as well as traffic issues which had been raised as concerns by the local community.

“This is a joint operation between police and Peterborough City Council on top of the day-to-day work we do across the eastern sector, solely to be able to focus on the issues causing greatest harm and concern to local residents and businesses in Millfield.

“We continue to listen to our neighbourhoods and act on their concerns, therefore please do continue to let us know what is of most importance to you.”