NEIGHBOURS' JOY AT DRUG SWOOP

A POLICE crackdown on dealers has been welcomed by the residents whose
lives are blighted by the drugs menace. Officers swooped on five
addresses in the Bloomfield area as part of a "sustained attack" on
drug activity yesterday morning.

Neighbours on four streets were woken by the sound of more than 40
officers dressed in riot gear smashing down doors at properties on
Ribble Road, Newbury Avenue, Westmorland Avenue and Central Drive.

A quantity of suspected Class A drugs and cannabis was taken from the
address at Ribble Road, while a further stash of suspected Class A
drugs was found at an address at Newbury Avenue.

Crowds gathered as residents in Ribble Road watched a 45-year-old man
being arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs and cannabis.

Locals said they felt reassured by seeing police in the area. Irene
Bowker, 81, of Ribble Road, said: "I've lived here since 1984, I know
the neighbours who've lived here a long time. But there's a lot of
rented accommodation so there's a lot of coming and going. It's good
to see the police doing something."

Another Ribble Road resident, who did not wish to be named, said:
"It's nice to see the police here, it's reassuring.

"People come knocking on your doors looking for drugs - I lock my
house up and don't go out when it's dark."

PC Steve Haskett, community beat manager for the Bloomfield area, said
the intelligence-led operation was helped by tip-offs from the public.

He said: "These raids are a result of concern raised by the local
community. It's about keeping the momentum up and letting people know
we are acting on what they tell us. It builds confidence and
reassurance. We follow up information we receive from local residents."

Owners of businesses along Central Drive werealso pleased to see the
police clamp down. Michael Leahy, owner of Mickey's Discount Carpets,
Central Drive, said: "It's good to see. The area is going down but the
police are doing something about it."

But another shop keeper on Central Drive, who wished anonymity, said
the success of the campaign depends on the courts backing the police
effort.

He said: "This area is full of drugs. It's all well seeing the police
out but what's important is what happens in the courts.

"There needs to be the right sentencing to make sure they're not back
out dealing on the streets."

PC Haskett added: "After today we will have done 15 raids in
Bloomfield already this year.

"This is the biggest raid we've done for a while. It's quite a
sustained attack on drug dealers and people involved in drug activity
in the area.

"They have nowhere to hide. We are showing them we mean what we say."