School locked down as armed police seize £1.2m of drugs in Dewsbury raid

POLICE have seized more than 40 kilogrammes of suspected class A drugs worth an estimated £1.2 million after an armed operation in Dewsbury.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Mar 2015, 15:59 BST
The car involved in the incident.The car involved in the incident.
The car involved in the incident.

Officers stopped a BMW estate in Old Bank Road, Earlsheaton at 2.10pm on Thursday, shooting at the car’s tyres to stop it driving off.

Police said no shots were fired at individuals and no-one was injured.

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On searching the car officers recovered approximately 2kg of suspected class A drugs. Armed officers then searched an address on Wakefield Road where approximately 40 kilogrammes of a suspected class A drug were recovered.

Nearby Manor Croft Academy was put on lockdown during the raid.

Principal Hayley Clacy said: “We have emergency procedures in place for when things like this happen.

“We were alerted by a local resident who told us that there was an incident taking place in Old Bank Road involving weapons, and staff acted swiftly to respond.”

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Windows, blinds and doors were locked, with staff manning each door. The alert was only made minutes before home-time, prompting the school to send out a text to parents assuring them their children were safe.

Students were allowed out 15 minutes late, and Mrs Clacy praised the efforts of staff and pupils.

“I was incredibly proud of the way the students and staff responded,” she said. “It could not have gone any more smoothly.”

Det Supt Simon Beldon of West Yorkshire Police, said: “The scourge of drugs can have a terrible impact on communities but this operation sends out a loud and clear message that this evil will not be tolerated in West Yorkshire.

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“A massive amount of suspected drugs have been seized – drugs that will now be destroyed instead of ending up on the streets and this is something everyone should welcome.

“During this operation members of the public will have seen a large number of police officers, some of whom were armed, on the streets. They were there as part of the operation and to provide a reassuring and visible presence on the streets of Dewsbury.”

Three men aged 16, 22 and 30 and one woman aged 25 have been arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

They remain in police custody.