STUNNED shoppers watched as police swooped on a suspected blackmail gang in a crowded supermarket car park.

A team of plain clothes and uniformed officers carried out the raid after a five-day investigation.

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said last night that four people had been arrested on suspicion of blackmail following two separate raids and searches of homes on Teesside.

The operation began when a police team pounced on a car in Morrisons supermarket car park, at Morton Park, Darlington, at about 5pm on Tuesday.

Two men, aged 30 and 35, and a 36-year-old woman, all from Teesside, were arrested on suspicion of blackmailing a Darlington businessman, who is in his 40s.

About 20 minutes later, a police van and two cars were sent to the nearby village of Brafferton, County Durham.

Officers, including one with a battering ram, raided a detached house in the village.

They arrested a businesswoman, who is also in her 30s, on suspicion of conspiracy to blackmail.

The operation was witnessed by several people in the village.

One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "These things just don't happen very often in Brafferton. The police came prepared to break the door down.

"It was quite surprising."

Roger Chappel said he was stunned by the news.

He said: "It is pretty amazing for Brafferton really, because nothing much happens here normally.

"It is a very quiet village."

It is understood that the arrested woman was a mother-of-three who had lived in the village for about 20 years. A black car was parked outside the address yesterday.

Specialist police teams searched the house in Brafferton and two terraced houses in Grangetown, Middlesbrough.

They seized computer records and other documents, which were taken away for examination.

The four arrested people were taken to police stations in Darlington, Bishop Auckland and Newton Aycliffe.

Last night, they were being held by detectives for questioning.