Keighley police have been involved in a massive operation this week as part of a countywide campaign to curb street crime.

The operation, part of the Target Initiative, has seen police officers patrolling the town's streets and parks, targeting hotspots in an effort to crack down on robberies, which have seen a 177 per cent increase in the Keighley area over the past 12 months.

Around 20 uniformed officers were involved in the operation and have been highly visible throughout the week around the town centre and main shopping areas, carrying out stop checks and questioning potential suspects about their activities.

They were backed up by mobile plain-clothes detectives, officers from the robbery team and the video van, which was used to take footage of suspects.

Det Chief Insp, Roger Gasson, said: "We are taking the fight to the criminals. The message to those who cause misery by committing street crime is that there is no hiding place, we are after you. The first aim is to prevent crime, but if we can't prevent it we can detect it."

Chief Supt Graham Sunderland added: "It's not all about street robbery. Many of the people who are carrying out robberies are also drug users or dealers.

"They don't have any money to buy drugs so they go and commit a robbery and then go straight to their dealer."

The high profile policing initiative had resulted in six arrests this week in the Keighley division as the Keighley News went to press, including two teenagers arrested in Bingley on Monday.

The teenagers were caught soon after they forced a youth to hand over cash when one of them threatened him with a replica handgun outside Bingley railway station.

Det Chief Insp Gasson said: "This is not just a one off operation but a sustained campaign against these criminals, and we are hoping the public will be a part of this by giving us information."

At a briefing for the operation on Tuesday, Det Chief Insp Gasson urged officers to encourage members of the public to join the police in their campaign to make Keighley's streets safe once more.

He said: "We need to engage members of the public because this initiative is partly to let the public know we are there to help."

Police are asking anyone with information regarding street crime to contact Keighley CID on 01535 617083 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.