WILTSHIRE Police has this morning executed warrants across Swindon and London, in what is the single biggest day of action the force has ever carried out.

This morning's strikes in Swindon town centre and Broad Green districts, as well as Greenwich, are the result of 12 months covert investigation of the growing class A drug trade in the town.

Police chiefs hope this morning's strikes will deal a hammer blow to the dangerous drug networks which bring heroin and crack from the capital to Swindon.

A final number for arrests made and drugs seized will be finalised later today, but chiefs hoped as many as 65 individuals will be arrested and ultimately charged with drugs offences.

Four hundred officers and staff from Wiltshire Police and partner agencies descended upon Swindon in a 50-vehicle convoy, which rolled out from a mass briefing at RAF Lyneham shortly before 9am.

Teams were dispatched to an array of addresses and businesses in the town, briefed to smash doors down, arrest who they find and seize the evidence required to bring about prosecutions.

A raid at a home in Dean Street shortly before 10am saw two people arrested, while officers also targeted businesses in Manchester Road.

A total of 38 addresses across Swindon have been raided by police so far with 19 arrests made.

 

Police gather at the pre-raid briefing in Lyneham this morning