POLICE in Worksop have seized a quantity of a Class B drug and made an arrest.
Officers in the Worksop North Beat Team yesterday (3) made a proactive arrest of a 41-year-old man on Gateford Road.
He was on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Mamba – a synthetic cannabinoid, that is classed as a dangerous substance.
Users often experience severe side effects, including extreme drowsiness, loss of coordination, and a “zombie-like” state, which can be alarming to witness and puts them at serious risk of harm.
Officers in the Worksop North Beat Team yesterday
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Our team is committed to tackling drug-related crime and protecting the public.
“This Class B drug has become a plight on Worksop, contributing to antisocial behaviour and causes ‘significant distress in our community. The investigation is ongoing.
“Together, we can make Worksop safer.”
Those with information about drug activity in their area should report it via 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Officers investigating reports of a Worksop robbery have arrested four suspects.
CCTV operators from Bassetlaw District Council alerted police to an assault taking place in Bridge Place at 6am on Tuesday (14).
The victim, aged 33, was approached by four men who attempted to extort money from him.
After taking his mobile phone he was assaulted twice and suffered serious injuries.
By 6.10am, Worksop response officers were on the scene and detained two suspects.
Two men, aged 31 and 36, were arrested on suspicion of robbery, committing grievous bodily harm with intent and assaulting a person causing actual bodily harm.
A man, 45, was located a few hours later and arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm with intent and robbery.
In the early hours of Wednesday (15), a 36-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of robbery.
The victim was taken to hospital with the serious injuries.
Detective Sergeant Andrew Sansom, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a serious assault that left the victim in hospital.
“The officers involved did a great job reacting to the information available to locate two people suspected of being involved in a robbery just a few minutes earlier.
“Robbery is an extremely serious offence that can leave a lasting impact on people’s lives, which is why it is so important that we always respond quickly to every report that we receive.
“I’d also like to thank the CCTV operatives at Bassetlaw District Council for informing us of this incident.”
The West Bassetlaw policing team have continued to clamp down on shoplifting in Worksop town centre as two offenders faced the courts on the same day.
Once she was recognised by the local council through CCTV walking across the centre on Wednesday (9 July), Emma Caterer was stopped by Worksop response officers and arrested.
Between 13 June and 9 July, Caterer, 41, was responsible for stealing a mixture of clothes, make-up and home products during five shop thefts in Worksop.
Later in the week on Friday (11 July), officers had more success when they arrested Tony Matkin while out on patrol, who was on their radar after being caught on shop CCTV stealing plants from Asda, Memorial Avenue, on 25 June.
Both Matkin, and Caterer, of Gateford Road, Worksop, were put before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court last Friday (11 July).
Caterer pleaded guilty and was handed a conditional discharge for a year, with orders to pay back the cost of items stolen.
Matkin, of Lowtown Street, Worksop, also pleaded guilty to one count of theft.
This incident added onto Matkin’s previous shoplifting offences, where the 36-year-old was found guilty of four prior shoplifting offences, and one count of vagrancy across Worksop town centre.
In total, he was jailed for six months – four from his previous suspended sentence, and another two for this further offence.
Inspector Robert Harrison, of the Bassetlaw neighbourhood policing team, said:
“Tackling retail crime in Worksop town centre remains a top priority for us, and we are determined to track down and arrest anyone who is involved in these offences.
“Shoplifting can be a serious blight on communities and will never be tolerated by Nottinghamshire Police.
“We work hard with our partners and local businesses to prevent this type of offending in the first place and crack down on the small number of individuals who are responsible for a disproportionate number of shop thefts.
“I hope this action reassures local businesses and members of the public that we will continue to do everything we can to protect them from persistent offenders.”
Officers were quick to make an arrest following what is believed to be an isolated flat fire.
In the early hours of Friday (27), reports came in that a property on Church Walk, Worksop, was alight.
Alongside Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue colleagues, the area was swiftly made safe, and police arrested a 23-year-old woman at the scene on suspicion of arson.
Inspector Robert Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We understand that this incident may cause concern for the Worksop community, but we want to reassure you all that this is being treated as an isolated incident and we’re not linking this to recent occurrences at this stage.
“Thankfully this fire was contained and no injuries were sustained, but there is always the potential for any fire to spiral out of control.
“With six previous arrests after a series of arson incidents in May, we will continue to clamp down on those involved in such incidents.”
Police want to speak to this woman after two stores were targeted by a shoplifter in Bassetlaw on the same day.
More than £500 worth of alcohol and other items were stolen during the separate incidents on June 12.
The same unidentified individual helped themselves to stock after walking into two shops in north Nottinghamshire.
Asda, in Vesuvius Way, Worksop, was targeted first, before Sainsbury’s, in High Grounds Road, Rhodesia, was as well.
The respective offences are believed to have taken place on 2.15pm and 2.40pm the same day.
Police investigating the two incidents can now release images of a woman they’d like to speak to in connection with the thefts.
PC Lee Ryan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Anyone who recognises this woman is asked to call us, as we have a few questions we’d like to ask her about these two thefts.
“Likewise, if she sees this appeal, we’d request that she contacts us, as we believe she has information that could assist our inquiries.
“Shoplifting is a serious offence that isn’t just unfair on the stores impacted, but also honest shoppers who follow the rules and spend their hard-earned cash on items.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident 467 of 12 June 2025, while Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police investigating a road traffic collision in Worksop are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
A man was struck by a car at about 2.30am on Sunday (15) in Eastgate.
The victim, in his 30s, was treated in hospital for injuries sustained.
A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Officers investigating the incident are now appealing for anyone who saw what happened, and who may have dash-cam or CCTV footage, to get in touch with them immediately.
Detective Sergeant Joanne Eaton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We’re committed to getting to the bottom of what happened here, so we would like to hear from any witnesses who saw the incident or may have dash-cam or CCTV footage.
“We believe that Eastgate would have been busy at the time of this collision, so we urge any members of the public who have any information to call 101 quoting incident number 25000346302 and Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Members of the public will wait less than a minute to reach Nottinghamshire Police’s control room to report non-emergency incidents.
The 101 number is used by the public for any non-emergency calls which can include passing on information about a current investigation or to report something suspicious in their area which might need police attendance.
At the end of May, all police forces will be publishing their 101 call wait times and Nottinghamshire Police has one of the best records.
When a member of the public in Nottinghamshire calls 101, they will be asked which police force they wish to be connected to.
Once they choose the Nottinghamshire Police option to report new incidents or to update an incident, the average wait time is zero.
Last year, the police service relaunched its non-emergency 101 service to ensure the public are immediately directed to the department who can answer their inquiry.
By reducing the number of options for a caller to choose from when calling 101, callers can now spend less time waiting.
The police service receives more than 400,000 calls a year through the 101 number.
Superintendent Simon Allardice, responsible for Nottinghamshire Police’s contact management, said: “We have worked extremely hard as a police service to ensure that the public can reach us as quickly as possible.
“Last year we made subtle but significant changes to improve people’s first impression when calling our non-emergency number.
“The whole experience is much more user-friendly and ensures the public can speak to the right person who can answer their questions. It also offers a more personalised service.
“The average wait time to reach our control room once dialling 101 is 58 seconds. Once you have chosen the option of Nottinghamshire Police, the average wait time is zero.
“Of course, it is not a given that all calls will be answered immediately due to the demand on our control room during major incidents or if we are dealing with a high number of emergency calls.
“However, we are delighted that overall callers won’t be waiting very long to speak to one of our operators who can help them immediately.”
Nottinghamshire Police has today (22) been removed from special measures by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, who said that the causes for concern it previously raised have now been ‘addressed and closed’.
The Force was told it had to make improvements in how the force investigates crime, delivers neighbourhood policing and activities to prevent crime and disorder, and to improve how it manages performance.
The force was placed under enhanced monitoring back in March 2024.
HM Inspector Roy Wilsher, who has responsibility for Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I am pleased with the good progress that Nottinghamshire Police has made so far. While there is still work to do, I have recommended removing the service from our enhanced level of monitoring, known as Engage, and return it to routine monitoring.
“We are reassured by the plans the police force has in place to continue making improvements, particularly in relation to crime investigation, leadership, force management and neighbourhood policing. We will continue to assess its progress to make sure the people of Nottinghamshire are getting the service they deserve.”
Temporary Chief Constable Steve Cooper says: “This represents a significant step in the force’s ongoing improvement journey to better serve communities across Nottinghamshire.
“We took being placed in ‘engage’ very seriously and through Chief Constable Kate Meynell’s improvement plan, which she implemented and ensured we delivered against, we used this as an opportunity not only to deliver meaningful improvements that are embedded across our force, but to improve in all that we do.
“The changes we have made have improved the quality of service we provide to communities and victims of crime, and we are committed to maintaining this and identifying any further improvements we can make.
“We remain grateful to HMICFRS, the College of Policing, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Home Office for their guidance and support throughout.”
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Gary Godden added: “This is fantastic news for the public of Nottinghamshire. It is recognition that Nottinghamshire Police is successfully improving the service it provides, following the plan put in place by Chief Constable Kate Meynell and the focused delivery by the entire workforce.
“It is a milestone moment for the service, and we now have a platform to build from to improve even further.
“The next step is to keep up the pace and work toward Nottinghamshire Police becoming an outstanding force and supporting my Police and Crime Plan priorities –continuing to earn public trust and confidence by putting communities and victims first, strengtheningpartnership working and providing an effective and resilient policing service.”
Two of the causes for concern, relating to managing performance and governance, and neighbourhood policing and preventing crime, were closed by HMICFRS on 4 April 2025.
At this time, the inspectorate commended the force for the improvements it had made in these areas, which included ensuring neighbourhood police officers spend more time in their local community.
HMICFRS also reported being pleased with the progress Nottinghamshire Police had made in improving the management, supervision and effectiveness of its investigations, before closing this final cause for concern on 22 May.
On closing this, the inspectorate commented that it was pleased with the improvement in Nottinghamshire Police’s management of crime, including supervision of crime and oversight of performance.
Nottinghamshire Police has introduced several new systems to maintain this level of performance and high-quality investigations. These include the implementation of Quality Assurance Thematic Testing, to improve crime outcomes and victim satisfaction, and PowerBI, to manage performance.
Bassetlaw’s neighbourhood policing team’s Inspector Robert Harrison has provided an update on how they have progressed on tackling crime across the district during and April and what the priorities will over the next three months.
Inspector Harrison said: “This is the first of a series of regular updates to inform residents about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and the impact we are having across our communities.
“I’ll also be highlighting some great work by your local officers and informing you about significant local trends and anything else I think you need to be aware of.
PICTURED: Inspector Robert Harrison
Current priorities in Bassetlaw
The inspector said: “I’d like to remind you about our key local policing priorities, which are agreed quarterly after consultation with the public and local partners.”
antisocial behaviour and crime in Worksop town centre
Rural crime in East Bassetlaw
Actions on our priorities
ASB and crime in Worksop town centre
Inspector Harrison said: “Over the past few months, I have received numerous complaints about antisocial behaviour and crime in the town centre.
“We’re talking here about things like shop thefts, public drinking and drug use, and the inevitable antisocial behaviour that comes with it.
“We know that many of these offences are being committed by a relatively small group of people living with some very complex needs like substance addiction and mental ill-health.
“Whilst we sympathise with people who are struggling and will continue to work with partners to ensure they are getting the help they need, we absolutely will not tolerate the kind of behaviour we have been seeing in the town centre.”
“I want Worksop to be a pleasant place to live in, work in, and visit, and will not allow a small number of people to damage the town in the way they have been,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve increased the number of local foot patrols over recent weeks and have been very assertive in the way we deal with these individuals.
“To this end we have made multiple arrests, returned prolific offenders to prison, and brought several suspects to court.”
Inspector Harrison said residents and retailers can expect to see an enhanced police presence going over the summer and want them to make contact if they see issues or behaviours of concern.
“I would ask them to contact us without delay,” he said.
“We are also working to secure criminal behaviour orders (CBOs) against some of our most prolific offenders. These orders allow us to prevent people from entering certain areas of the town and from doing certain things – such as entering shops in possession of bags. Any breaches are themselves a criminal offence and will quickly land offenders in prison and off he streets.
“These orders have been used to good effect elsewhere and we expect to see similarly positive results in Worksop.”
Drug supply
Drug dealing and drug related offending are major drivers for the anti-social behaviour issues I have updated on,” the inspector said.
“Many of the anti-social behaviour offenders are both using and selling illegal drugs on our streets. Most of those people are not major players in the drug market, but they are a public nuisance, and they are damaging our town.
“We have been disrupting that behaviour in exactly the same way we’ve been tackling anti social behaviour – with boots on the ground and a concerted effort to get up close and personal with offenders.
“Our council colleagues are also proving a great help with their comprehensive CCTV coverage, which is being shared in real time with officers on the ground. This approach recently led to the jailing of a prolific local offender who was caught in the act of dealing drugs.
“Local intelligence also led us to execute a warrant in Knanton Road on April 23, which uncovered a significant cannabis grow and has led to criminal charges for two suspects. A further warrant was executed at an address on Lincoln Street on April 24 where two suspects were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
“For obvious reasons I will not share the details here, but Bassetlaw Today readers can also expect to see a few more doors going in over the next few weeks as we execute more court warrants.”
Rural crime in East Bassetlaw
In his update, The Inspector said: “A huge part of Nottinghamshire’s rural community call Bassetlaw their home, and we have continuously welcomed an open dialogue with our farmers and residents so we can understand what issues they are facing, and what we can do as their local police team to crack down on rural crime.
“Some key problems we are working hard to target include off-road bikes and quads, theft and poaching. We want to reassure you all that we take rural crime extremely seriously, and we are working with other teams across the force – including our road bike team, drone team and roads policing – to run targeted cross border operations. We’ve also helped secure farmer’s sites recently.”
“I also want to take this time to highlight our rural crime and wildlife officers that you will find working hard in each of our neighbourhood policing teams. We are continuing to invest in training for them and we encourage anyone with any concerns or questions to get in touch.”
John Street explosion
“As you will all be aware, Worksop was the scene was a major incident last month when a house exploded in John Street, damaging several neighbouring properties and claiming the life of man who was later recovered from the wreckage.
PICTURED: The house on John Street after the explosion (PHOTO: Notts Police)
“As investigations into what happened continue, I would thank all the members of the neighbourhood policing team who worked so hard in the aftermath of this incident to identify witnesses and maintain the scene. That was very labour-intensive work and had a considerable impact on many of the other things we have wanted to do over the last few weeks.”
