POLICE have arrested 11 people on suspicion of dealing Class A drugs following a second wave of early morning raids in Darlington today.

Officers swooped on ten addresses in the town’s Firth Moor, Eastbourne, Harrowgate Hill, Bank Top, Whinfield, North Road and Grange Road areas, arresting ten men, all aged between 18 and 45, and a woman, aged 40, in connection with the supply of Class A drugs.

The breakfast time raids, which took place between 6am and 7am, involved 145 officers.

A 21-year-old woman was also arrested in connection with possession of a small amount of cannabis.

Raids were carried out at addresses in Bedford Street, Bank Top; Geneva Road and Moorfield Close, both in Firth Moor; Wilson Street and Wilkes Street, both in the North Road area; Tiree Gardens, Whinfield; Sutcliffe Court, in Harrowgate Hill; Buckingham Court, in the Grange Road area; and Brighton Street, in Eastbourne.

The suspects, who are continuing to help police with their inquiries, are being held at police stations in Darlington and Bishop Auckland.

The raids were carried out as part as Operation Nimrod, based on intelligence given to the police by members of the public.

The action follows a similar early morning raid last week, where 14 men and one woman were arrested in raids on 12 properties in Darlington and an address in Stockton early on Wednesday morning.

Six pubs and clubs in Darlington were also searched with officers and drugs dogs on Friday evening as part of Operation Nimrod.

The operation, which is led by Durham Police, has been working with Darlington Drug and Alcohol Action Team, NHS Darlington and Darlington Borough Council to talk to communities and provide support for addicts who want to get clean.

Speaking this afternoon, Superintendent Graham Hall, operations manager for south area command, said Operation Nimrod was set to continue on a rolling basis across the force area.

“These arrests follow information provided by local resients. They know who the dealers are and increasingly they are having the confidence to come forward and tell us, either directly or through Crimestoppers,” he said.

“Our efforts will continue to target and track down those who choose this criminal lifestyle.

“The message is simple - give it up or get caught.”

Anyone with information about drug-dealing can contact police on 0845-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.