FOUR-legged, tail-wagging, crime cracking sleuth Buster has lived up to his name following a narcotics search on Teesside.

The white and brown police spaniel sniffed out 2,000 Ecstasy tablets with a street value of £20,000, plus wraps of heroin in raids on three houses on Stockton's Hardwick council estate.

Buster is one of eight sniffer dogs who between them have retrieved more than 80 drugs cashes with a street value of £250,000 in the Cleveland Police area so far this year.

Three men, aged 27, 23 and 22, and two women, aged 21 and 17, were arrested following the raids at Stockton. All were released on police bail pending further inquiries.

The operation was organised by the Hardwick Community Police team whose sergeant, Nick White, said: "The residents of Hardwick are not prepared to tolerate the presence of drug dealers on this estate."