Radford police pledge to keep up pressure on criminals after wave of arrests

Police have pledged to continue a crackdown on crime in the Radford area following a string of arrests.

The City Central Neighbourhood Policing Team has urged residents and local businesses to continue reporting incidents.

It comes after a spate of arrests since the launch of Operation Arriving in response to a gradual rise in retail crime, auto crime and burglary over the past six months.

Since its launch on Monday (8 June), additional resources have been drafted in to support neighbourhood officers in executing warrants and carrying out enforcement activity.

The operation saw a number of arrests on its first day, resulting in multiple court hearings. They include:

• Collins Fearon, 55, of no fixed address – arrested after patrolling officers spotted him in Walker Street, Radford. Fearon was wanted in relation to three shop thefts, including one incident where £260 worth of spirits were stolen from a Tesco store. Following his arrest, officers carried out a search and found a quantity of Class A drugs and a knife. Fearon was charged with three shop thefts, possession of a Class A drug and possession of a knife blade. He is due at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 26 June.
• Owen Neil, 49, of no fixed address – arrested and recalled to prison after having his licence revoked. Neil was jailed in September 2025 for a string of offences including dangerous driving, shop thefts and going equipped for burglary. He was released on licence in March but failed to stay out of trouble and so his licence was revoked. Officers arrested him after spotting him in Walter Street, Radford. A quantity of Class A drugs were subsequently found during a search.
• Ashley Holden, 42, of Bobbers Mill Road, Arboretum – arrested at his home address and charged with two shop thefts. He is accused of entering two convenience stores on an e-scooter before fleeing with food items worth a combined £200. He is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 26 June.
• Lilla Boni, 36, of Calderdale, Wollaton – arrested after failing to attend court on 19 May in relation to a shop theft. Officers placed her before magistrates on Tuesday (9 June) and she pleaded guilty to stealing £51 worth of mens underwear from Primark on 26 April. Magistrates ordered her to pay a £40 fine along with a £15 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.
• Shaan Oppal, 40, of no fixed address – arrested after police received a report of a man attempting to break into a car in Russell Street, Radford. Officers searched the area and arrested Oppal a short time later. He was later charged with vehicle interference and going equipped for theft of a motor vehicle. Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (9 June), he admitted both offences and was handed a Community Order that includes a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

In addition to these arrests, earlier this week, we reported how another Radford thief had been caught after he stole from a police capture car, while prolific offender Bobby Lunt, 42, of no fixed address, is also back in prison following his latest arrest.

Inspector Liz Gaskin, who leads the City Central NPT, which is based at Radford Road Police Station, said:

"Criminals operating in Radford are now regularly appearing before our courts and we are absolutely determined to make sure this continues.

“Our operation to specifically target criminality in the area continues and I want to extend my thanks to local businesses and residents who continue to report offending to us.

“I urge them to keep contacting us with intelligence which we can use to identify and target offenders who create misery on our streets.

“All information supplied either directly to us, or anonymously via Crimestoppers is assessed and used to help us plan operations such as that which have led to these latest arrests."

Information on how to report a crime can be found here: Contact us | Nottinghamshire Police. In an emergency, always call 999.

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