A large-scale police operation saw six wanted people in a North Yorkshire town arrested.

Operation Tornado, which was first launched in York, was taken to Harrogate by North Yorkshire Police.

The operation saw officers out in force today (June 12) across the district on patrols in aim of disrupting criminal activity.

Chief Inspector Simon Williamson, who covers Harrogate district, said: "Today’s operation has a wide range but its purpose is straightforward – to prevent crime and proactively target those who commit it."

The operation resulted in six people being arrested in connection with burglaries and other thefts, including vehicle theft and retail crime, two drug warrants being executed, and the locating and arrest of six wanted people.

The police deployed community patrols as part of their operation (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Over 50 police officers and PCSOs were deployed during the operation. 

They conducted patrols in the town's retail hotspots, and offered crime prevention advice to local businesses. The force added that they worked with the council's CCTV team, the local BID, and the Harrogate District Business against crime project.

Chief Inspector Williamson added: "Burglary, shoplifting, drugs and violent crime in particular are offences that our communities quite rightly expect us to be tough on.

"And while we deal with these 365 days a year, today’s arrests highlight how decisively we respond to criminality in North Yorkshire, especially when we focus lots of resources on a single area.

READ NEXT:

"We’ve also had scores of officers on the beat and doing face-to-face crime prevention work, as it’s absolutely vital that we continue to work closely with residents, businesses and other organisations in the district."

CI Williamson said that whilst Harrogate district is a "very safe area", efforts such as Operation Tornado are key in ensuring that remains to be the case.

Those arrested during the operation include: two youths, aged 14 and 15, arrested in connection with a high-value burglary and vehicle theft in Harrogate and possession with intent to supply drugs, a man in his 30s arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, a man in his 30s arrested in connection with the theft of a vehicle in Harrogate, a man in his 20s arrested on suspicion of retail theft offences in Knaresborough, a man in his late teens arrested in connection with supplying drugs, a man in his 30s and a man in his 40s arrested in connection with an attempted burglary in Richmondshire, six wanted people arrested on warrants in connection with various offences, and two arrested following two drugs warrants – one in Harrogate and one in Ripon.