West London park patrol leads to seizure of firearm and drugs

Drugs and a dangerous firearm have been seized by officers patrolling a park in West London.

The officers, from the West Area Violence Suppression Unit, were on patrol in Southall Park at around 20:30hrs on Tuesday, 15 June as part of the Met's proactive approach to policing open spaces across London.

Two men, both aged 23, were spotted acting suspiciously. When they were approached by plain-clothed officers, both men ran off.

They were chased by officers and detained near Uxbridge Road.

A search of the men found approximately 100 wraps of class A drugs. One of the men had a rucksack in which officers found a live firearm with ammunition. This was immediately made safe by firearms officers.

As a result of the search, both men were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs. The man found with the firearm [A] was further arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm.

Both men were taken to a London police station where they remain.

Acting Inspector Jake Albon-Massey, of the West Area Violence Suppression Unit, added in a press release: 

"Officers across London are actively patrolling parks to ensure they are safe spaces for everyone to enjoy. This is a fantastic example of how officers used their judgement and powers to detain and search two men who could have presented a danger to the public. I would like to thank them for their work to bring them into custody.

“Parks across London are increasingly busy as Covid restrictions ease and sun seekers come out to enjoy the outside space. Plain-clothed and uniformed officers are regularly out in parks and will continue to crack down on drug dealing, violence and other offences. I'd encourage anyone who has concerns while visiting our parks to speak to officers.”