Seventeen people have been arrested across Teesside after approximately 130 police officers carried out a series of coordinated early morning raids targeting suspected organised crime.

The major operation took place on Monday across South Bank, Grangetown, and Eston, near Middlesbrough. Cleveland Police led the coordinated enforcement action, drawing on additional support from officers from the National Crime Agency to target individuals suspected of organised criminal activity.

If you were out in the area at the start of the week, you would have noticed the sheer scale of the operation. Shortly after 08:00 BST, a convoy of about a dozen police vans moved into local streets, with patrol cars temporarily blocking off roads to allow teams to carry out their work.

Officers used battering rams to force entry into several properties across the three neighbourhoods. Because of the timing of the raids, the forced entries happened in full view of local families as parents were walking past with their children on the morning school run.

Cleveland Police confirmed that a total of 17 people were arrested during the morning's action. The force stated that those taken into custody were detained on suspicion of various offences, including assault and drug offences.

This visible crackdown comes as part of a high-profile police response following a fatal crash on the nearby A66 last month. That collision took place at the conclusion of a police pursuit and claimed the lives of seven people.

According to police, a Volkswagen Passat was travelling the wrong way down the road when it collided with a Cleveland Police armed response vehicle that was heading in the opposite direction.

The impact killed two serving police officers who were inside the armed response vehicle: PC Matthew Blades, aged 37, and PC Tom Clough, aged 38. All five men who were occupants inside the Volkswagen Passat also died at the scene.

Following Monday's raids, Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey emphasised that seeing heavy, visible policing on local streets is crucial for community confidence.

Explaining the purpose of the action, Mr Storey said: "This makes people more reassured about what is really going in their communities. They see people arrested, charged and taken off the streets."

What we do not know yet is the individual identities of the 17 suspects who were taken into custody, nor have police confirmed whether any of them have been formally charged. Cleveland Police have also not released details regarding any specific items or evidence seized during the property searches.

The investigation into these suspected organised crime networks remains active across Teesside, and I will keep you updated as further information comes through from the authorities. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.