A sweep for potential weapons and general clean-up has been staged on Winchester Road and surrounding areas of Ash with a team of Surrey  police and Guildford council officers. The aim was to share information between agencies and to search for items that could be used in incidents of disorder or anti-social behaviour.

No weapons were found and several bags of litter and items that could cause harm were removed. Sergeant Sam Turner, of Guildford Specialist Neighbourhood Team, said: “Despite the weather, this was a great opportunity to work closely with colleagues from council and we are very thankful for their help.

“More important was the chance to reinforce our commitment to residents in the area and be able to chat on a less formal level than we have had to recently when dealing with incidents that have been reported. I spoke to several residents who were really pleased to see us and talk with their children.

“It was encouraging to hear the personal experiences of residents and how they have seen an improvement in the area recently. We will continue to work with the community and our partner agencies towards reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in this area and across the borough.”

Residents can report concerns of any kind to police on 999 if urgent, 101 if not, or you can report online (www.surrey.police.uk) You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.