ELEVEN people were arrested and drugs worth more than £5,000 were seized in a week-long crackdown in North Yorkshire.

Police neighbourhood support teams from the Ripon, Harrogate and Craven areas held a week of action aimed at reducing the number of wanted criminals across the area.

One man wanted since July last year was arrested, and another interviewed as part of a continuing fraud investigation.

Several houses in Harrogate and Knaresborough were searched and crack cocaine and cannabis seized along with substantial amounts of cash and drug-related paraphernalia.

A man was arrested after heroin and crack cocaine worth more than £4,000 was discovered, while a warrant in Harrogate led to the arrest of a woman and the seizure of amphetamine worth more than £450 and about £800 in cash.

Inspector John Downham said: "The high number of arrests we have made shows just how important community intelligence is in helping us to reduce crime.

"I believe we have sent a strong message to the criminal minority that our communities are united against crime and willing to speak out against it."

* Anyone with any other information about criminal activity is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845-60-60-247 or anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800-555-111.