Vision is key...

Officers also seized a substantial haul of suspected stolen electrical goods, including washing machines and refrigerators, from an address in Kensworth and raided two cannabis factories in Dunstable and Silsoe where hundreds of plants were found. Two people were arrested.

And throughout the day, a team of almost 150 volunteer staff, cadets, special constables, PCSOs and police officers conducted high-visibility house to house calls to neighbours, covering homes in Katherine Drive in Dunstable and Farley Hill, Luton.

The team knocked on 4,000 doors and spoke to residents about what they perceived to be the biggest priorities in their neighbourhoods.

Each household was given a leaflet with crime prevention advice, as burglary traditionally goes up at this time of year.

The cadets also later revisited homes that were unoccupied during the day and a group of Special Constabulary ran a series of anti-social behaviour patrols in the evening.

Supt Mark Turner, who is in charge of Operation Vision, said: “As with the Operation Vision initiative in Goldington, Bedford, last month, volunteers were given a warm welcome.

“One elderly lady commented that she ‘no longer felt alone’ and another said she felt we had ‘given her a voice’ about issues in her neighbourhood.

“It’s comments like this that make the whole day worthwhile, quite apart from the good results from the arrest phase.”