POLICE have launched a new campaign to tackle serious and organised crime (SOC).

The campaign is called Protect and will see West Mercia establish local policing priority teams (LPPTs), responsible for targeting problems relating to drugs, burglary, modern day slavery, economic crime or fraud.

Police said LPPT officers would be key to intelligence gathering and responding to dynamic incidents, such as those involving county lines drugs dealing - where offenders from outside Worcestershire target the county.

They will also tackle acquisitive crime; and will work closely and collaboratively with other agencies.

Assistant chief constable Martin Evans, from West Mercia Police, said: “Serious and organised crime has a real impact on our communities, and addressing this complex threat is an absolute priority for the force.

“We all have a role to play in reducing this impact and tackling those responsible.”

The campaign will have four themes.

These are ‘pursue’, which will be prosecuting and disrupting those involved in serious and organised crime, ‘prevent’ which is stopping individuals from becoming involved in serious crime in the first place, ‘protect’ by increasing levels of protection and ‘prepare’ to reduce the impact of serious and organised crime where it occurs.

The police say this will help disrupt and dismantle criminal groups, and help to ensure offenders will be stripped of any proceeds of crime.