A POLICE crackdown on violent crime will see officers carry out stop-and-searches and high-visibility patrols on the streets of the capital.

Operation Wolf got under way last week resulting in six people being charged in connection with football-related disorder in Edinburgh.

Now, local police teams are taking part in days of action targeting those involved in violent crime, anti-social behaviour, drugs, theft and hate crime.

Speaking outside Leith police station after briefing officers taking part in the activity, Superintendent Matt Richards said: "This is the overt launch of the operation. We had a covert launch on Thursday when we went after several football hooligans that had committed offences, violent offences, during the course of the derby game two weekends ago.

"Today, we are out and about in Leith. We have arrest packages for individuals that have committed crimes thus far, we also have high-visibility patrols and we have automatic number plate recognition cars out trying to catch criminals in their vehicles."

He added: "We know that the people we are going after today are violent individuals, they have serious and organised crime links and we will bring them to book throughout the course of Operation Wolf and beyond."