Three men arrested after string of offences in Gainsborough

Three men have been arrested following a string of offences in Gainsborough on Wednesday night (2 March).

Officers were called to reports of a commercial burglary in progress at Boots on Market Place at around 7:30pm. Perfumes and aftershaves worth approximately £1500 were reportedly stolen after offenders forced entry to the premises.

Working closely with the West Lindsey District Council CCTV operators, officers were able to identify the suspected offenders involved in the burglary. They were later spotted by a response officer near a convenience store on Ropery Road. Following further enquiries, it was identified that the two offenders were accompanied by a male living nearby.

Officers attended an address on Ropery Road and arrested two men aged 48 and 50 in relation to the commercial burglary. They have since been released on police bail. A search of the premises was carried out and a bag containing all of the stolen items from Boots was found and recovered. Officers also discovered a small-scale cannabis grow inside the property along with 41 large freezer bags containing cannabis and a machete.

Both males were also arrested on suspicion of the production of Class B drugs and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place. They have been released on police bail.

A third man aged 50 was also arrested on suspicion of the production of Class B drugs and the possession of an offensive weapon in a private place. He has been released under investigation.

West Lindsey Community Policing Inspector Gary Brockie said: “This incident is a really good example of positive and effective team working between response officers, our Neighbourhood Policing Team and officers from our Criminal Investigation Department in Gainsborough.

“With support from CCTV operators in West Lindsey District Council, we were able to identify and quickly apprehend those believed to be responsible. We were also able to recover the stolen goods, thousands of pounds worth of cannabis not hitting the streets of Gainsborough and an offensive weapon being safely recovered.”

Reference: Incident 371 of 2 March