Operation Tremmor - Officers target County Lines across South London & Hampshire

British Transport Police continued its work targeting County lines criminals by carrying out a week of operations in South London and Hampshire.

As part of Operation Tremmor, officers worked at stations from Clapham Junction to Southampton, often working alongside local police forces.

Each day, they were patrolling platforms, gate lines and trains, supporting rail staff and looking for any signs of County Lines activity.

It joins work BTP does nationally throughout the year as part of its County Lines Taskforce – the intention is to make the entire railway network a hazardous place for organised criminals to operate.

Here Sergeant Dan Millar explains what Operation Tremmor is, how officers are targeting County Lines activity, and what the public can do to help.

Usually, Operation Tremmor is committed to Clapham Junction and Waterloo stations, with officers deploying as a deterrent to any incidents, and as a reassurance to railway staff and passengers.

It has been operating since 2018.

However, on the week starting Monday 22 March, it was expanded to support the Force’s County Lines activity with officers intensifying their patrols at Clapham Junction, Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Fratton and Southampton stations.

The operations generated a number of results, with nine arrests, four people safeguarded, and a series of community resolutions, reports and investigations for low level offences.

Operation lead, Inspector Simon Trotter, said: “Tremmor is a highly visible, highly proactive, year-round operation. We’re often patrolling with uniformed and plain clothed officers, drug detection dogs and knife arches.

“The focus of my team and Operation Tremmor is to reduce crime, arrest offenders, safe guard the vulnerable, reassure staff and make the public feel safe and secure.”