THREE people have been arrested and suspected heroin with a street value of £25,000 seized, following police raids on houses in Middlesbrough.

Eight ounces of a substance believed to be heroin were recovered from one address, and a car suspected of being used in crime was seized at another house, in the town centre.

Two men, aged 20 and 28, and a 17-year-old girl were arrested but released on police bail, pending forensic examination of the drugs.

Chief Inspector Gary Stephenson, of Cleveland Police, said: "This was an intelligence-led operation which again paid off.

"There is no let up on our part in the campaign against crime, but the public have a major role to play. Information which they pass on to us will be acted on.''

Mr Stephenson is head of Operation Sabre which in the past seven days has recovered £50,000 of drugs in raids across Teesside.