"Open the door it's the police!" At least four men and a host of drugs paraphernalia, fake cash, smoke covered walls, and a cocktail of smells greeted officers making a return visit to a flat of 'undesirables' just outside Rochdale town centre.
Residents and passerbys stopped and looked as a group of officers made their way up the temporary stairs to the flat with the noise of a drill removing the lock bringing more spectators. A solid kick eventually forced the door open and those in the flat had nowhere to go.
Three of these men would be led out of the Redcross Street flat in handcuffs, with cops hoping for a closure order on the smashed up property to bring the 'hell' for local residents to an end. It marked the persistent work of neighbourhood inspector Meena Yasin who has been knocking on dozens of nearby doors for weeks to build enough trust with people to raise their issues with the property in question.
