DRUG detection officers this week spoke openly about plans to refocus their department and create a new intelligence unit for the police division which covers north Wiltshire.

Last week some officers expressed disquiet at plans to disband the existing three-man drug unit based at Melksham as part of plans to conform with new national guidelines.

But yesterday two of the unit's most experienced officers, whose identity we have agreed to keep confidential, gave wholehearted support for the proposal which will widen the intelligence brief to include crimes such as burglary, car crime and other thefts.

Superintendent Amanda Evely also pledged that the experience of the drugs unit's officers would not be lost from the new intelligence unit.

"We definitely want to keep their expertise," she said. "The only difference will be that they will be part of a much bigger team which will allow us to do our job more effectively."

Both she and the drug unit officers stressed that C Division, which covers north and west Wiltshire, was not about to go soft on heroin and cocaine pushers.

Much of the work of the drug unit officers is confidential so the Gazette has agreed not to reveal identities.

Jim, 33, who has been working in the specialist drugs team for about four years, said: "All of our work comes down to intelligence.

"We believe the new unit will make it better and safer for people to give us information.

"We will be able to reassure people that the information they are giving us will be kept totally confidential and be dealt with by people who are very experienced in this sensitive area of our work."

Jim, who admitted his job, which involved many unsocial hours, puts pressure on his personal life, said the TV image of drug squad officers rushing into action to bash down doors and going undercover was not helpful.

His colleague Mark, 31, who is a detective sergeant, said: "In the old days we would get some information and go rushing in and hope to find something.

"But those days are long gone. The way the dealers operate has become much more sophisticated.

"Now we can spend a year gradually piecing together different bits of information before we go in to arrest the dealers.

"The problem can be that people will give us information and then because they don't see anything happening immediately they think we are not doing anything.

"But the reality is that we are working carefully behind the scenes to make sure that when we go in we have got it right.

"When you do that and you find the drugs where you have been told to expect them it is a tremendous buzz."

Supt Evely said that in the past it was easier to separate drugs offenders from other criminals.

But today drugs are behind the vast majority of crimes. "This is why it makes sense to bring all the intelligence together," she said.

Mark agreed. "Today when we do a raid we are just as likely to find a stash of car radios or things from a shop lifting spree as well as drugs," he said.

All the officers emphasised the need for the public to keep on supplying information to the Gazette's Shop A Pusher line.

Mark said: "If anyone sees lots of people coming and going to a particular house then ring us and if possible leave a name and number because it will be kept totally confidential.

"It is a great start to the day to listen to the Shop A Pusher line and hear new information."

Jim also emphasised the importance the police now put on getting people off drugs. The division works alongside North Wiltshire Drug and Alcohol Working Group.

The officer gave the example of a 22-year-old from Calne who he had arrested in the past for using drugs but was now clean and starting to rebuild his life. I get just as much of a kick out of that as I do from seeing a drug dealer go down.

"If we can stop people using drugs the dealers won't have anyone to sell to," he said.

jmoore@newswilts.co.uk