On 29 April 2026, Cheshire Police undertook a major operation in Crewe as part of an investigation following reports of serious offences alleged to have involved members of a religious group called the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light.
The Police conducted three warrants in Crewe, including Webb House, along with two other properties on Nantwich Road and Badger Avenue, and have, to date, made 12 arrests in relation to the allegations.
Cheshire East Council is continuing to support people affected by the operation. Our priority is to ensure that those people who have been displaced are safe and supported. We anticipate this work will continue for some time.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Nick Mannion, made the following statement at the Annual General Meeting of Cheshire East Council on 13 May 2026:
“I am sure everyone will appreciate that the work the Council is currently undertaking is sensitive.
“We continue to support people affected following the major police operation, but today I cannot give you details of the work our staff are undertaking as they carry out our safeguarding responsibilities with children and adults.
“I want to thank all of our staff who are supporting this work. I am sure I speak on behalf of all councillors when I say thank you for everything you are doing. Those providing support to individuals, those working nights and weekends, those coordinating this activity and providing administrative support.
“Now I want to speak to our residents, particularly those who live near to Webb House and in Crewe.
“I know that some of you will be worried and concerned, some of you may well be angry, some of you may be frightened. I do understand. I am sorry I can’t share any details with you, because I know you will have lots of questions and you do deserve answers.
“In the coming weeks we will set out the information that we have and that we can share, but in the meantime, I want to reassure you. The Police have assured us that there is no risk to the public. We will continue to do everything we can to protect those who are vulnerable and to support the community to recover. And we will assist the police as they continue their investigations.”
Police statements
Council statements
Resident updates
May 2026 - Letter to residents: Update on the operation, advice on disruption and how to report welfare concerns (PDF, 165KB)
Questions and answers
We know there are people who are concerned about what is happening, However, this remains a live police investigation and the information Cheshire East Council can share is very limited at this time. When we can share more, we will. In the meantime, here are answers to commonly asked questions.
What is happening at Webb House in Crewe?
On 29 April 2026, Cheshire Police undertook a major operation in Crewe as part of an investigation following reports of serious offences alleged to have involved members of a religious group called the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL).
The Police conducted three warrants in Crewe, including Webb House, along with two other properties on Nantwich Road and Badger Avenue, and have made arrests in relation to the allegations. The suspects, who were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences have all since been released on conditional bail.
Other arrests have been made in relation to public order offences following the raids.
Cheshire East Council is continuing to support people affected by the operation. Our priorities are ensuring those people impacted by the operation are safe and supported and dealing with matters that impact our local residents and communities.
We anticipate this work will continue for some time.
What is the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL)?
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) is a new religious movement - followers state it was founded by Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq in 1999 in Basra, Iraq.
AROPL moved its headquarters to Webb House in Crewe in 2021, having previously been based in Sweden.
AROPL is registered in the UK and USA as a charity.
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) is not the same as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (a separate movement founded in 19th‑century India).
When will the investigation be complete?
The Police investigation needs to be thorough and will take time. It is not possible at this point to say when it will be complete.
Why can’t the Council remove AROPL from Webb House?
Webb House is owned by and is home to members of the AROPL community.
Cheshire Police have made it clear that the live investigation is not an investigation into the religion itself. The investigation solely focuses on the serious allegations which have been reported to the Police.
Police officers conducted evidential searches at Webb House, which concluded on Sunday 3 May, and the property was then released to the residents of Webb House.
While Cheshire East Council has certain statutory powers, for example, in relation to child and adult safeguarding, housing standards and building control, the Council needs to ensure that it complies with the law and there are certain grounds that must be established.
Note: The suspects who were arrested in relation to the serious allegations all have strict bail conditions which prevent them from returning to the area.
What should I do if I have concerns about children or adults?
If you are concerned about the welfare or safety of an adult, please phone us on 0300 123 5010, (8:30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30 am to 4:30pm Friday), or 0300 123 5022(at all other times including bank holidays).
If you are worried about a child or young person, contact the Cheshire East Consultation Service (ChECS), phone ChECS on 0300 123 5012 (option 3). If it is outside normal working hours and you believe a child is at immediate risk, contact the Emergency Duty Team: Phone: 0300 123 5022
Dial 999 if a serious offence is in progress
I am concerned about the disruption caused by ongoing protest activity outside Webb House and elsewhere in the town. What is being done to manage that?
People have a right to have their say and to raise views or concerns, however, we will not tolerate intimidation or threatening behaviour towards council officers or councillors including Council owned land and premises.
The police have made arrests over the last few weeks and have made it clear that where individuals are causing disruption or engaging in disorder, they will act.
For antisocial behaviour on the street or in public spaces, including aggressive, noisy or abusive behaviour and neighbourhood disturbances, contact the Police on 101 for non-emergencies, or dial 999 if a serious offence is in progress or has just happened, someone is in immediate danger of harm, property is in danger of being damaged or a serious disruption to the public is likely.
To report illegal parking, please see report illegal parking or call 0300 123 5020.
For noise nuisance coming from private property, you can report it here: Noise nuisance, or by phoning 0300 123 5015 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 5pm).
Did the Council own Webb House before the AROPL bought the property?
No. Webb House has never been owned by Cheshire East Council.
Historically, Webb House was established as an orphanage in the early 1900s. The site has also been used as a hospital and as a British Transport Commission training centre, prior to being sold into private ownership in the 2000s.
It has never been owned by Cheshire East Council, nor any of the previous councils prior to local government re-organisation in 2009 (Cheshire County Council or Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council), nor has it ever been owned by Crewe Town Council.
More information is available on The Webb Orphanage, Crewe, Cheshire.
Freedom of Information Requests
If you have questions that are not covered by the information here, you may find the answers in responses to various FOI requests that have been submitted. Our responses are published on our FOI disclosure log. This can be found on our Freedom of Information page, under the header 'Check our Disclosure log'. Once in the FOI system you can then search by typing “Webb House” into the search field.
I, or someone I know, may need psychological support following the operation. Where can I get help?
The NHS offer advice and provide support for people who suffer stress following incidents. Please see the Coping with stress following a major incident (PDF, 50KB) leaflet.
This page was last updated on: 20 August 2026.