POLICE officers who worked on Operation Ardent, the drugs raid in Devizes last year, have received awards.

Uniformed police officers and detectives were involved in the operation, which saw dawn raids being carried out at ten addresses, including six flats in Waiblingen Way, Devizes last September.

Although the raids did not recover a large amount of drugs, the operation achieved its aim of disrupting the supply of class A drugs, particularly heroin and crack cocaine.

Fifteen people were arrested and nine pleaded guilty to charges relating to the supply of drugs.

Six men were sent to prison for a total of 18 and a half years.

More than nine months of planning went into the drugs raids and Chief Spt Jerry Wickham, the commander of the Salisbury police division, said the meticulous work of the police officers involved resulted in those charged pleading guilty in court.

"The work the officers did was absolutely first class," he said. "We were praised by the head of the Crown Prosecution Service who said the efforts of the police investigation led to people pleading guilty."

Certificates of merit have been presented to six officers, one of whom cannot be named due to operational reasons.

The others are Det Sgt Simon James, the deputy senior investigating officer for the operation. DS James, who is married with two children, is responsible for all CID investigations in the Kennet area.

WDC Angela Bryant was exhibits officer during the operation. She has served with Wiltshire Constabulary for 21 years.

DC Marcus Tawn was involved in the planning and logistics of the operation. He was born in Malmesbury and grew up in Melksham. He has been with Wiltshire Constabulary for 13 years and has served in Swindon, Marlborough, Salisbury and currently at Devizes Borough.

PC Paul Dyton was involved in organising surveillance and the planning of the operation. He was born in Swindon and has served with Wiltshire Constabulary for 21 years. He is an intelligence officer at Devizes and has previously worked for five years with the National Crime Squad.

PC Neil O'Driscoll was involved in organising surveillance and the planning of the operation. He is serving with the proactive crime unit in Salisbury and Kennet.

Chief Spt Wickham said police had received complaints from residents, particularly in Waiblingen Way, about the problem of drugs and officers worked avidly behind the scenes to resolve the situation.

"The impact of the operation on that community was considerable and all of that work has made people's lives' easier," he said.

Chief Spt Wickham said the police were not complacent and would follow up complaints from a minority of residents in Waiblingen Way who claimed that there has been a rise in crime and anti-social behaviour in recent weeks.

Inspector Pete Bowerbank of Devizes police said they would continue to crack down on offenders.

He said: "Since the drugs operation there has been a reduction in nuisance, shoplifting, theft and burglaries of sheds in Devizes but the fight goes on.

"We are patrolling everyday in the Waiblingen Way area. We still have problems down there with drugs but it is nowhere near as bad as it was before September."

He said if people had concerns about drug dealing they should contact the police on (01380) 722141 or the Gazette's Shop a Pusher telephone line on (01249) 449694.