Police target city kerb crawlers

Police in Derby have arrested 12 men in an undercover operation against kerb crawling in the city.

Officers have received reports of kerb crawling in the Normanton and Pear Tree areas and began Operation Lark on Wednesday to tackle the problem.

All 12 men were arrested on suspicion of kerb crawling and were released on bail until next week. If found guilty, they could be fined up to £1,000.

Det Insp Steve Pont said he hoped the action would act as a deterrent.

"For people who live in the areas where this trade goes on, it can cause a lot of distress and annoyance and can become an unwelcome disruption to their daily lives.

"We are working closely with local communities and partners to take pro-active action wherever possible and we will continue to target offenders with further operations like this," said Det Insp Pont.