THOUSANDS of pounds worth of drugs were seized in a series of dawn raids by police in County Durham yesterday.

Officers swooped on seven houses in Spennymoor and one in Chilton in a high-profile intelligence-led operation.

Police said the early morning raids were a success, with three people arrested.

Officers seized skunk cannabis with a street value of £8,000, heroin wraps and suspected stolen goods.

Operation Obelus was launched following concerns raised by Spennymoor residents.

Beat officer PC Dawn Southern, who has been liaising with the local Neighbourhood Watch, said it is important that the public continue to work with the police.

She said: "The type of problems I hear about are anti-social behaviour and the fear that people are using drugs and committing crime.

"But if we are not told about local concerns, we wouldn't be able to class any area as a hotspot.

"This is a direct action as a result of intelligence gathered."

The raids were part of Operation Lancelot, an anti-burglary initiative running throughout the winter months in Sedgefield borough.

Under the umbrella of the Sedgefield Partnership, members of the Burglary Action Group are working together to reduce burglaries.

The group, of which The Northern Echo is a member, recognises that many burglaries are committed to pay for drugs.

Detective Inspector Stuart Robson, the officer in charge of Operation Obelus, said: "In the last few years there has been a dramatic increase in the use of heroin at street level.

"Children as young as ten and 11 years old have been pulled into this culture.

"Operations of this type do take out the dealers and chip away at them in the same way that they are chipping away at society.

He said: "This is one of many operations that we have and if any member of the public has any information or suspicions that someone is dealing in hard drugs then I would urge them to get in touch with their local constabulary."