ONE of the largest hauls of amphetamines ever found on Teesside has been seized in dawn raids.

The Class B drugs, with a street value of around £180,000 were found a addresses in Irvine Road and off Innes Road, Hartlepool on Friday, at 7.45am.

A large quantity of cash and an amount of suspected class B drugs were found in Irvine Road and several kilos of what is believed to be amphetamines were discovered in garages near Innes Road.

Sergeant John Hemsworth, of Hartlepool’s District Drugs Unit, said he was delighted with the success of the operation.

"This was a substantial recovery of what we believe is amphetamine which would have been destined for the streets of Hartlepool and further afield," he said.

"This drug is more commonly known as speed or whizz. It is becoming more and more accessible. It is not a difficult drug to get hold of.

"I have looked back through the years and this is one of the biggest recoveries Hartlepool has ever seen.

"This amount of amphetamine has never been recovered before.

"It's a popular drug in Hartlepool, as it is across the country, and we do come across it a lot. It's recreational, people often use it before going out and you do see it in night clubs.

"Because of its popularity, a find like this is very important and it shows we are doing all we can to disrupt the flow of drugs in the town."

He added: "Residents can be assured that we will always act on any information from the public in relation to the use and supply of drugs.

"This operation was not just from intelligence, although we do try and act on any information we receive.

"The community does have the responsibility to tell us information.

"This was a real team effort and we got a really good result."

A 40-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs and money laundering. Both have been bailed while inquiries continue.