LANDLORDS GET TOUGH IN THE WAR ON DRUGS

LANDLORDS across Teesside say they support a mammoth drugs blitz in
their pubs after a raid resulted in 10 arrests.

The crackdown on drug-use in licensed premises came only four days
after Pubwatch landlords signed an agreement with police to have
their pubs randomly searched.

The operation resulted in six people caught with cocaine, one with
cannabis and two people arrested for a public order offence.

A 21-year-old was arrested on suspicion of money laundering after he
was found carrying UKP800. The money has been confiscated pending
further inquiries.

The raid was a follow-up to a previous operation where a haul of
UKP100,000 in cash and drugs was seized from properties in Easterside
and Brambles Farm.

Mick Armstrong, 68, licensee of The Gables on Hemlington Village
Road, Middlesbrough, was one of six pubs targeted at the weekend.

"There was a discussion at last week's Pubwatch meeting about
licensees voluntarily signing up to police coming in and doing random
searches," said Mr Armstrong, who is the chairman of Pubwatch.

"I was happy that my premises were done. It is a good deterrent to
those taking drugs that we at The Gables have a zero tolerance
approach to drugs."

Other targets included The Lingfield Farm, Coulby Newham; The Viking,
Middlesbrough; The Apple Tree at Marton Manor; The Southern Cross,
Marton, and The Brunton Arms, Nunthorpe. They were stormed by 18 officers.

A dog sniffed out those who had been in contact with drugs and
suspects were led outside and searched in vans.

Sgt Paul Higgins said: "We were acting on information from licensees
who had problems with drugs being used on their premises.

"Landlords were finding little plastic bags in the toilets but did
not know who was doing it."

Steve Foster, 37, and his wife Julie, 45, have run the Lingfield Farm
for 15 months.

Mr Foster said: "People using drugs in licensed premises become
aggressive and spoil the friendly family atmosphere. The raids
protect the customers and me."

The Gazette can reveal that some landlords are resorting to drastic
measures to stop drug users targeting their pubs.

One licensee, who asked not to be named, said: "I spray the top of my
toilet cisterns with baby oil - that way the drugs go mushy and they
can't snort them.

"I've heard of one landlord who sprays anti-freeze and WD40 on his.
It makes the blood vessels in their nostrils explode when they snort off it."