Arrest over firearms probe swoop at farm

A man has been arrested following a raid on a farm on the edge of the Black Country, police said today.

The 54-year-old was held on suspicion of conspiracy to supply firearms after officers swooped on Hinksford Farm, in Hinksford Lane, Kingswinford. It is not yet known whether any firearms have been found.

A team of officers from West Midlands Police and Staffordshire Police, carried out a joint operation at the farm in the early hours of yesterday using a search warrant. Uniformed and plain clothes officers combed hedgerows, grass and ponds on the site.

Police sniffer dogs were also brought in to help with the search. Officers carried video cameras and left with holdall bags.

Farm shop owner Simon Tolley, aged 42, said that he had gone to market at 4am and that when he returned at 7am the police were already searching the farmland.

Mr Tolley, of Catesby Drive, Kingswinford, has been renting the shop from the farm owner since January.

He added that he believed that the police had called the owner, who was on holiday, to inform him that they were carrying out the search.

He said there was no police presence at the farmhouse today and the cordon had been taken down, meaning that he could open his shop as normal.

"I lost around £200 having to be closed yesterday and was really worried when they told me I might have to be closed today, as that would be another £500," said Mr Tolley.

"It was a nightmare," he added.

Police spokeswoman Catherine Hickman said: "With searches still ongoing as part of this operation, it would be inappropriate to comment on whether anything has been recovered at this stage.

"As is always the case when warrants of this nature are executed, a range of specialist resources are available, which include specially trained search dogs," she added.

"These were used for this operation."