WATCH: Police dog sniffs out recreational drug users in Peterborough in 'first of its kind' operation

Police in Peterborough have carried out an operation with a passive drugs dog to detect recreational drug use during the city centre’s night-time economy.

“Operation Indicative”, which was the first of its kind to be run in the county in recent years, was held on Friday night (29 November).

The initiative saw officers using a “specially-trained drugs dog to proactively detect the presence of controlled substances anywhere on a person or in their belongings”.

Sergeant Paul Delmer, from the Neighbourhood Support Team, and who led the operation, said: “This is a tactic our colleagues from Nottinghamshire Police regularly use in their city centre, therefore we sought their support to run the operation here in Peterborough last week.”

A Cambs Police spokesperson went on: “The operation consisted of two strands – the first using a passive drugs dog to detect individuals who are, or had been, in contact with or possession of drugs.

“Anyone who the dog “indicated” was spoken with by police officers, and if there were reasonable grounds, a stop-search then carried out.

“Plain-clothed officers were also on patrol to act as additional eyes on the lookout for suspicious behaviour, along with the assistance from CCTV operators.

“The second strand saw spot checks of licenced premises by police and council licencing officers and the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to ensure venues had correct licences displayed and enough staff on duty for the venue’s capacity.”

The operation saw the following results:

• 10 stop-searches were carried out, with four positive finds of drugs (cannabis and cocaine) which resulted in three out of court disposals and one under investigation

• 1 arrest for breach of court bail after a teenage boy was found inside Queensgate bus station

• 1 child protection referral submitted to partner agencies

• 26 items of intelligence submitted

• 10 licenced venues checked by the SIA (Security Industry Authority) – all of which were compliant

• 28 door supervisors checked – all of whom had valid licences, however two given verbal warnings for not having licences on display

• 1 illegal worker identified by immigration enforcement officers at a licenced convenience store in Lincoln Road, business owners are now facing a substantial fine

• Only one call for service within the city centre boundary during the operation

Sgt Delmer added: “This operation was not about targeting drug dealers as such; our focus was on those who may be recreationally using illegal substances and attending licenced venues in the city.

“We know that drug consumption mixed with alcohol can be a lethal combination often leading to violent or aggressive behaviour which we don’t want in our city when people are trying to enjoy themselves.

“As we enter the Christmas period and the city gets busier, its important people know the work we are doing alongside our partners and the night-time economy businesses to make our city as safe as possible.

“The operation drew a lot of attention from members of the public who were interested in what we were doing so this was a good opportunity to educate them and explain what the operation was about.

“While this is the first time we have run something like this in the county, it certainly won’t be the last.”