'You're famous': Shirtless man's door smashed down as cops storm homes and make dozens of arrests

17.02.2022 - 17:53 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

The sky is still dark and a shirtless man is given a rude awakening.

Police vans have descended on a Tameside neighbourhood before 6.30am and officers are bashing down a front door.

From the other side, still bleary-eyed, the man watches the cops burst into his home.

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They search the flat and he puts a t-shirt on, before being arrested.

"What's all this?" he asks the police officer marching him over to a van, as he spots cameras along the way.

The officer replies: "It's the press, man. You're famous."

He's one of two men arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and extraction of electricity following a raid on the property at Booth Close, Stalybridge.

It was one of the first raids carried out as part of Operation Avro.

Each month, officers from across Greater Manchester descend on one of the region's 10 boroughs to stamp out crime and engage with the public.

Today (February 17) is Tameside's turn for the operation, which saw officers scatter across the borough at 6am as the first warrants were executed.

In a rallying call to his team outside Ashton Town Hall, Tameside's chief superintendent Rob Cousen told officers: "We're going to be having bellies up against the counter."

Eleven arrests had been made by 10am. Two hours later, the number stood at 24.

Suspects have so far been arrested for drugs offences, child sexual exploitation and possession of indecent images, while a number of stolen vehicles have been recovered.

On Yew Tree Close, in Ashton, a team of officers arrived with a warrant to search an apartment for drugs.

Stubborn cops seemed to have met their match as they spent 11 minutes trying to get through the front