In a joint operation, a clean-up action was held in Happy Valley, Heuwelsig and Rayton today 10 June removing 21 suspicious people from informal dwellings and taking them to be profiled by the police.

Among these were three women living in temporary shelters.

The operation started out in Happy Valley to coincide with the preparation of the fencing off and inclusion of Happy Valley and Reservoir Island into the greater Westdene Park Conservancy.

Michael Deutschmann, manager of the Westdene Neighbourhood Association, said this is one of the steps to remove illegal squatters in the future park area where the fencing is now underway.

Deutschmann said multiple structures were disassembled and removed and all illegal squatters were transported to SAPS Bayswater and Park Road to be profiled to identify possibly suspects in other cases.

The police of Bayswater and Park Road, the Community Policing Forum (CPF), Mangaung Metro Law Enforcement, private security companies Proforce, Securiforce, Bloemsec and Mata Security took part in the operation.

The private security and police along with a security vehicle of AfriForum then moved on to the veld behind Heuwelsig Spar where one man was taken away for profiling and another was taken to hospital.

Another illegal occupier of a ruin on the edge of Rayton near Frans Kleynhans Avenue, was also taken to Bayswater Police Station.

Cornelius Potgieter from the Bayswater Police CPF, said these kind of operations ensure the safety of residents.