FIVE people were arrested as part of an ongoing operation at a controversial scrapyard.

Officers attended the former T H Smith site of Meadow Street in Great Harwood as part of a planned operation and seized a number of allegedly stolen vehicles.

Other vehicles were also seized under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

A 41 year old woman and a 41 year old man from Great Harwood were arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm, theft and money laundering.

A 36 year old man from York has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm.

They were initially held in custody.

A 30-year-old man from Brierfield and a 27-year-old woman from Blackburn were arrested on suspicion of money laundering and have been released under investigation.

A police spokesman said: “We hope this activity reassures members of the local community that we are doing everything we can to address the concerns which have been raised.

"We will continue to work as a partnership, and will use all the powers available to us to ensure those responsible are dealt with accordingly.

“We will continue to monitor activity at the site and if any members of the public have concerns or information we would urge them to get in touch with us straight away on 101.

“This activity is a positive step forward for the community of Hyndburn, and we would like to thank them for their patience and support.”

In May the long legal saga over the scrapyard, which plagued neighbours with nuisance fires, appeared to be over.

Mary Smith, one of the directors of T H Smith and Sons Ltd operated the site withdrew her appeals against three magistrates’ court convictions.

They were for accepting electrical and electronic equipment over a 15-month period in contravention of licences which only permitted the handling of scrap vehicles.

The Environment Agency dropped two further cases against Mary Smith during the hearing at Preston Crown Court.

Her appeal against Burnley Magistrates Court’s sentence of a 26-week curfew through a community order was dismissed.

Mrs Smith said that since a separate legal agreement in December no fires had been burnt at the yard, now trading as Hotdog Tom Ltd.

In November, Judge Ian Leeming QC at Preston Crown Court placed an order on the directors of T H Smith and Sons banning any blazing materials there.

It followed a joint operation by police, the fire service, Hyndburn Council and the Environment Agency the previous September which temporarily closed the site, then operated by GHM Metals Recycling Ltd.

On October 5 the firm’s directors Tommy and Mary Smith got the closure order lifted pending appeal and a temporary ruling banning burning at the site was imposed instead.

At the November 1 hearing the police and their partners decided not to seek closure but obtained a six-month extension of a contempt of court order banning fires.