A CRACKDOWN targeting Bolton's most wanted saw 15 suspected criminals arrested and a cannabis farm in Deane unearthed.

Police drew up a list of 60 known offenders to target yesterday in a day of action as part of Operation Bauble.

Teams of officers were briefed early in the morning before each being given lists of criminals to find across Bolton.

The work was set to continue last night with further arrests expected.

Operation Bauble is a Greater Manchester-wide push against wanted criminals in the run up to Christmas.

Police want the public to be reassured that their work is not winding down as the festive period approaches During the morning yesterday, eight people were arrested, including a 33-year-old man at a house in Brandwood Street, Deane.

Police found a 14-plant cannabis farm, with an estimated street value of £7,000, there when they arrested the man and took him into custody.

Later in the day, they visited a house in Winster Drive, Breightmet, where they found a small quantity of cannabis drying and some production.

They arrested a man and woman there on suspicion of the production of cannabis.

Five of the other people arrested were wanted on court warrants, while one woman caught was wanted for an offence under the Immigration Act.

Police said the individuals targeted were mostly repeat offenders, who had committed a mixture of offences, including drug dealing, robbery and burglary.

Supt Andrea Jones, the highest-ranked officer based permanently in Bolton, said: "This is part of a message to criminals operating in Bolton that we are not winding down just because it's Christmas.

"If you are committing crime or thinking of committing crime in Bolton, we are as ready as ever to tackle you.

"A lot of Bolton's worst offenders are being locked up and won't be free to commit crime over Christmas.

"This is every day for us. We are hunting down people who have committed burglaries and robberies every single day.

"This is not a one-off."

Operation Bauble's aims were to arrest key offenders before Christmas to increase public confidence in the police.

Officers were warned that the eyes of the public would be on them as they moved about the town.

Police in Bolton had the help of GMP'sTactical Aid Unit and ANPR team throughout the day, as well as extra police dogs and mounted officers.

The GMP operation was launched on December 11, and about 80 criminals have already been caught across Greater Manchester.