Police carry out day of action across West Leeds

Around £49,000 worth of goods have been seized from shops in West Leeds in an operation carried out by police and West Yorkshire Trading Standards.

Officer visited shops in Armley, Kirkstall, Pudsey and Farnley and Wortley wards and seized items including cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and vapes from six premises.

The retail value of the seized items is estimated to be around £49,000.

The operation formed part of a day of action carried out by Leeds West Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) and partners aimed at disrupting criminal activity, making roads safer and engaging with local communities.

Action taken on Monday (13 April) included a traffic operation on the Leeds/Bradford border and a community engagement event with Crimestoppers and Stop Loan Sharks at Cottingley Springs.

The traffic operation was carried out near Pudsey and involved NPT and roads policing officers, as well as partners including DVLA, DVSA, Leeds City Council’s Serious Environmental Crime Team (SECT) and taxi licensing.

Among the drivers stopped were one driver who was arrested for failing to provide a specimen (suspected drug driving), a driver who had their vehicle seized due to having no licence or insurance and drivers who were issued with Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) for not having a valid MOT or wearing a seatbelt.

A number of drivers were issued with immediate prohibition notices due to safety concerns, meaning their vehicles were taken off the road.

A police spokesperson said: “This day of action was all about working closely with our partners and local communities to tackle serious and organised crime, promoting Vision Zero to improve road safety, and building stronger relationships with the people we serve.

“By taking this collaborative and community‑focused approach, we were able to take positive and visible action, and maximise opportunities to protect and reassure our communities.”