Police find pounds 500,000 under bed

Detectives uncovered pounds 500,000 in cash hidden under a bed during a London-wide swoop against burglars yesterday. The money was found during a raid on a house in Hounslow, west London, and a man was arrested in connection with the illegal importation of alcohol. The swoop was carried out as part of Operation Bumblebee, the 10th one-day intensive crackdown targeting suspected burglars. More than 2,000 Metropolitan Police officers targeted hundreds of criminals at addresses in the capital. Property recovered included three handguns, forged currency, stolen credit cards, jewellery and drugs - including cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis. Some 360 suspected burglars and handlers were arrested.

In Bromley, south London - the capital's largest police division - 61 officers carried out raids on 22 different addresses. They were targeting 36 alleged burglars, who they believed had been preying on homes and businesses in the Bromley area. These criminals were based as far away as Weymouth in Dorset.