Macclesfield officers working hard to help keep residents safe this Christmas

Officers from Macclesfield Local Policing Unit (LPU) were out in force last weekend as part of an operation to help keep residents safe this Christmas.

The operation began on Friday 9 December, when officers from Macclesfield and Knutsford Beat Team, supported by the Special Constabulary and police dog Barney, visited pubs and clubs in Macclesfield, Knutsford, Poynton and Disley.

Licencing checks were conducted at nine premises, with the full support of all the licensees, and all was found to be in order.

PD Barney was also kept busy, with five people found in possession of illegal drugs (three with cannabis and two with cocaine).

All five offenders were dealt with at the scene and the drugs were seized and will now be destroyed.

Following the successful operation on Friday night, officers were out on the streets again on Sunday 11 December, when they visited Macclesfield town centre to engage with residents and remind them about the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which is now in place in the town.

The order, which was implemented by Cheshire East Council following a referral from the Constabulary came into force on 18 July 2022, means that is it now an offence to refuse to hand alcohol over to an officer when requested to do so.  

The PSPO also bans people from urinating in public. Anyone who breaches the order faces a heavy fine of up to £1,000.

Inspector Christian Watkins, of Macclesfield LPU said:

“We’re committed to doing all we can to keep residents safe this Christmas and will use all of the tools available to us to achieve our goal.

“While the vast majority of people we engaged with over the weekend were behaving safely and responsibly, there were a small number of people who were found in possession of illegal drugs, and they have all been dealt with.

“I would like to thank all the licensees and residents that we spoke to for their cooperation and I hope that this weekend’s activity provided some reassurance to the local community by demonstrating that we were working hard to keep them safe.

“The message is clear; we will not stand for any drugs related offences or anti-social behaviour in Cheshire this Christmas."

If you have seen, or know of any drug activity taking place in Cheshire, please contact Cheshire Police via:

Something you've seen or heard | Cheshire Constabulary .

Information can be provided to Crimestoppers charity, anonymously, by calling 0800 555 111 or visit: 

Give information | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)

To learn how to spot the signs of all types of drug activity visit:

Impact | Cheshire Constabulary . 

The PSPO for Macclesfield was formally approved by committee on 1 July and the order came into force on 18 July. It could be active for three years and extends from Hibel Road, in the north of the town, to the junction of Silk Road and Old Mill Lane, to the south. The order does not apply to drinking in areas where a pavement licence is in place.

Under the order, police officers and council community enforcement officers, have the power to request that any alcohol, in a sealed or unsealed container, is handed to them if they suspect it is likely to lead to a public nuisance or disorder. Fixed penalty notices of £100 could be handed out for failure to comply with this request or for any breaches of other parts of the order.

Repeat offending, or failure to pay, could lead to prosecution at magistrates’ court, with potential fines of £500 or £1,000 according to the nature of the offence.