Herts Police

03/09/2026

Q: 999 what's your emergency?

A: There are too many ice cream sellers on my patch 🍦🙃

That was just one of the 999 calls we recently received, which featured on BBC Morning Live today (Thursday).

Led by Rav Wilding, the programme highlighted the impact of inappropriate 999 calls and how they can take our busy call handlers away from genuine life-or-death emergencies.

The show also featured our viral clip of a man calling 999 to complain that the G&T he'd just bought contained no alcohol.

While these calls might raise a smile, as presenter Gethin Jones pointed out, there is a serious side. Every unnecessary call ties up emergency lines and can delay help reaching those who need it most.

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer: https://orlo.uk/MCasA

☎️ Only call 999 in a genuine emergency. If it's not an emergency but we still need to know about it, please click before you call:

💻 Report online: https://orlo.uk/HHoH9

💬 Speak to our team via web chat: https://orlo.uk/XpHv8

Our online reporting and web chat services are handled by the same force communication operators that answer calls, allowing you to contact us at a time that's convenient to you while helping keep emergency lines free.
Could you do the job?

Our force communication operators are often the first point of contact for people in need. They gather critical information, support callers through difficult situations and ensure the right resources are deployed quickly and effectively.
It's a challenging, fast-paced and rewarding role that requires calmness under pressure and excellent communication skills.

👮‍♀️ Could you be part of Team Herts?

Applications for Force Communication Operator roles will be opening soon. Keep an eye on our careers page for opportunities to join us 👉 https://orlo.uk/ARH1T

#999

03/09/2026

⚖️ North Herts County Lines dealers jailed for eight years

Two drug dealers, who played key roles in supplying Class A drugs across , have been jailed for a combined total of eight years.

Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Investigation Unit (SOCIU) carried out search warrants at two addresses in Hitchin and Holwell in September 2025. During the operation, which was supported by officers from the Operational Support Group, two arrests were made. Class A and B drugs worth around £5,000 was seized, along with more than £10,000 in cash, a viable firearm, three imitation fi****ms, ammunition, a crossbow and four machetes.

The two men appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Friday (28 August), and both pleaded guilty to their involvement, with the sentencing as follows:

• Omareo Bryant, aged 22, and of Hitchin, was sentenced to:
o Five years and six months in prison for possession of a firearm
o Five months for possession of ammunition (to be served concurrently)
o 27 months for possession with intent to supply co***ne (concurrent)
o 27 months possession with intent to supply he**in (concurrent)
o 12 months for possession with intent to supply cannabis (concurrent)
o 12 months for possession of criminal property (cash) (concurrent)

• Kamil Tunnicliffe aged 27, and of Hitchin, was sentenced to:
o 30 months in prison for being concerned in the supply of co***ne
o 20 months for being concerned in the supply of he**in (concurrent)
o 6 months for being concerned in the supply of cannabis (concurrent)

Detective Constable Jake Barnard, from the SOCIU said: “These men were involved in running the ‘Tariq’ line that was supplying drugs to the North Herts area.

“This operation was the culmination of months of work which targeted the drug line, that had been supplying co***ne and he**in in Hitchin and surrounding areas.

“These sentences will have a significant effect on the drug supply and related crime in the surrounding communities as will the removal of several real and imitation weapons. We continue to rely on the public to be our eyes and ears. If you have any information about drug dealing, please report it — together we can help keep Hertfordshire safe.”

Report drug crime by:
• Filling out our online reporting form at https://orlo.uk/juh2R
• Speaking to an operator in our Force Communications Room via online webchat at https://orlo.uk/OoslH
• Calling our non-emergency telephone number 101 (in an emergency, always dial 999)
• Contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

02/09/2026

Do you recognise these items?

Please report info using the details in the post below ⬇️

02/09/2026

⚠️ We are appealing to the public for their help in locating a wanted man.

Mark Akinyemi, aged 42 and of no fixed abode, is wanted on recall to prison for failing to comply with probation requirements. His original offence was robbery.

He has links to , , and .

See comments on how to report information 👇

02/09/2026

A man has been jailed for indecently assaulting a child more than two decades ago.

Thanks to the victim's bravery coming forward, he has also been placed on the s*x offenders’ register indefinitely and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

If you have been the victim of a s*xual assault or r**e, please be assured that we will take your report seriously and do everything we can to get justice for you. In this case, Javier Franco was given a restraining order, preventing him from contacting the victim. Please do not be afraid to contact us.

The full story can be read below and includes information on how to report👇

⚖️ A man has been sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for indecently assaulting a child more than 20 years ago.

Javier Franco, aged 52, formerly of , appeared for sentencing at Crown Court on Wednesday 26 August.

The offence occurred in 2004 when Franco was an army cadet leader. He had told the victim – one of his army cadets – to meet him in Greenwood Park, as he had a certificate for her. He then took her to his bedsit where he indecently assaulted her.

The victim, who was aged 13 at the time of the offence, bravely reported Franco to police two years ago after she spotted him in public. He was arrested on 12 June 2023 and later pleaded guilty to the offence.

🗣️ Detective Constable Sophie Beach, from the constabulary’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Firstly, I want to commend the brave victim for coming forward. She described how seeing him in public all those years later, made her feel sick and she felt she had to report it. We are so glad she did. Nobody should have to suffer in silence while their perpetrator gets away with such a heinous crime.

“Franco will now rightly be serving prison time for the indecent assault. In addition to that, he is now on the s*x offenders’ register indefinitely. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order, preventing him from contacting the victim, have also put in place.

“I hope this case reassures anybody else out there who is a victim of s*xual assault or r**e and is unsure to tell us. We will take your report seriously and fight for justice, no matter how long ago the offence occurred. We want to help you and we will do everything we can to make the process as easy as possible for you.”

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Becoming a victim of s*xual assault is never your fault. If you’ve been a victim, no matter how long ago the offence occurred, please report it. We have specialist officers on hand to provide advice and support throughout an investigation. The constabulary also has a number of officers who are specially trained to provide support to members of the LGBT+ community.

Anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced s*xual abuse or s*xual violence can contact the Herts Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for practical and emotional support. To contact Herts SARC, call 0330 223 0099 or visit https://orlo.uk/4O0Hb

01/09/2026

Thank you for sharing our appeal ⬇️

Good news ✅

Earlier today (Tuesday 1 September), we published images of a jewellery box that had been found discarded on the M25 near Junction 17.

We are pleased to say we have now identified the owner and are working on returning the items.

Thank you for sharing our appeal.

01/09/2026

Nearly two months on from a serious road traffic collision in Tring, which left a teenager with life threatening injuries, we are re-appealing for any outstanding witnesses who stopped at the scene to come forward.

The collision happened on Sunday 19 July at around 12.10am. A black BMW travelling northbound on the A41 past Bourne End, before Tring, collided with the central reservation and entered the opposite carriageway, resulting in the passenger in the vehicle suffering life threatening injuries.

Detective Constable Boris Kahn from the Serious Collisions Unit said: “At the time there were several cars and people on the scene who left before officers were able to take their details. One of those vehicles was a dark coloured BMW.

“We need to speak to everyone who saw the collision or who stopped at the scene afterwards. If this was you and you have not yet spoken to officers, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

A 48-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving offences and remains on police bail.

The passenger is now at home recovering from his injuries.

Anyone with any information or dash cam footage is asked to email [email protected]

You can report information online at https://orlo.uk/IJWvG, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at https://orlo.uk/MerYg or call the non-emergency number 101, quoting 41/68226/26.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at https://orlo.uk/Z70an .

01/09/2026

An investigation into the supply of co***ne and he**in across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire has led to nine arrests and six people charged.

On Thursday (27 August), Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Investigations Unit carried out several warrants across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Birmingham, supported by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service, ERSOU and Trading Standards.

Nine men were arrested as part of the investigation and six have since been charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. They are:

• Abbas Yousaf, aged 31, of Southsea Avenue, Watford
• Asadullah Muzaffar, aged 31, of Leavesden Road, Watford
• Syed Abbas Khan, aged 29, of Leabridge Corner, Luton
• Mohammed Hamas, aged 31, of Chester Road, Watford
• Nasser Shabir, aged 29, of Runley Road, Luton
• Mubbashar Ali, aged 31, of Nelson Road, Leighton Buzzard

All were remanded into custody and will next appear at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday 29 September.

Officers also seized items including £30,000 in cash, Class A drugs and an imitation firearm during searches of several properties.

Detective Sergeant Chris Cowell, who is leading the investigation, said: "These charges are an important step in our investigation into the suspected supply of Class A drugs across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Illegal drugs can cause serious harm to individuals and our communities, which is why tackling drug crime is important. I'd like to thank everyone involved for their support during this operation. Our enquiries are ongoing and we remain committed to disrupting these criminal networks and keeping people safe."

A 31-year-old man from Luton and a 34-year-old man from Watford were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. A 38-year-old man from Watford was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of Class B or C drugs. All three have been bailed whilst the investigation continues.

You can report information online at https://orlo.uk/Wg0tt, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at https://orlo.uk/f4wEA or call the non-emergency number 101. If a crime is in progress call 999.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

30/08/2026

❗We are appealing to the public for their help in locating a wanted man.

Liam Lincoln, aged 23, is wanted on recall to prison for two commercial burglaries in .

He has links to *x and .

Anyone who sees Liam can report online at https://orlo.uk/kZr5X, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room, via our online chat at https://orlo.uk/TmM0P or call the non-emergency number 101 quoting reference 75 of today’s date (Sun 30 Aug).

30/08/2026

Heading out tonight to make the most of the bank holiday weekend? 🎊 🍹

🚨 Everyone has the right to enjoy a safe night out, and we work in collaboration with venues across the county to help make them as safe as possible - this includes promoting the 'Ask For Angela' scheme, where if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable on a night out or a date, you can approach bar staff and ask to 'speak to Angela' - they can then assist you in leaving the venue discreetly and getting home or to a place of safety.

We also work with local premises to ensure that staff know the correct process to follow if they believe a spiking incident has occurred.

❗ Did you know, giving someone a double shot of alcohol when they've only asked for a single is a form of drink spiking?

Spiking isn't just limited to secretly adding drugs to someone's drink - it can also be:

• Putting alcohol into someone’s drink without their knowledge or permission, including adding measures to someone’s drink that they have not asked for
• Putting prescription or illegal drugs into another person’s alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink without their knowledge or permission
• Injecting another person with prescription or illegal drugs without their knowledge or permission
• Putting prescription or illegal drugs into another person's food without their knowledge or permission
• Putting prescription or illegal drugs into another person's cigarette or v**e without their knowledge or permission.

Sadly, we know spiking is often under-reported. People may feel embarrassed, fear that they won't be believed, or think nothing can be done. But if you have been spiked, please know that we will absolutely listen to you, support you, and take your report seriously. Early evidence can make a significant difference in helping to bring offenders to justice.