NINETEEN people were being questioned by police last night following one of the biggest seizures of crack cocaine in the North-East.

Twenty-four officers took part in raids on addresses in Middlesbrough and seized 250 rocks of the drug, with a street value of more than £6,000.

Quantities of the drug were found in plastic bags, packed with garlic and concealed behind plasterboard walls in an attempt to throw sniffer dogs off the scent, said police.

Officers also found a cache of swords and knives and about £2,000 in cash.

As police went into a house in Walpole Street, bags of the drug were thrown from a bedroom window.

Fifty rocks of crack cocaine were recovered from nearby Princes Road, as well as what police described as "substantial" sums of cash.

The 19 people who were arrested - 15 men and four women - were being questioned at police stations across the area.

During the weekend, police seized almost £30,000 worth of heroin from homes in Grove Hill, Middlesbrough.

Detective Superintendent Adrian Roberts said: "There will be no hiding place for those who want to deal in the misery caused by drugs.

"Over the past 18 months we have seen an increase in crack cocaine on the streets and that, together with heroin, represents the principal focus of our operations.''

He said police could not afford to be complacent and urged residents to keep coming forward with information on drug dealing.