Police were on patrol in Prestwich this week to disrupt criminal behaviour.

Officers from Operation Venture and members of the Transport Unit have been speaking with local businesses and offering reassurance to the community.

Patrols were part of Project Servator and a mixture of plain clothes and uniformed officers were deployed.

The project is different to typical police operations and aims to disrupt potential criminals in the information-gathering process of planning a crime.

Bury Times: Police were on patrol in Prestwich this week to disrupt criminal behaviour

The deployments are usually unpredictable and are highly visible, working with security teams, CCTV operators and people in the area.

Bury Times: Police were on patrol in Prestwich this week to disrupt criminal behaviour

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “If something doesn’t feel right report it to create a network of vigilance and make it difficult for people looking to commit a crime or cause harm.”

Bury Times: Police were on patrol in Prestwich this week to disrupt criminal behaviour

They added that the project has resulted in arrests for a range of offences and helped in removing weapons and drugs from the streets.