SWINDON DRUGS HOTLINE: CABBIES are being urged to join the fight against drugs by grassing up dealers who use their taxis.

Dealers frequently take cabs when picking up drugs and making deliveries.

But drivers often turn a blind eye, because they are scared of getting into trouble, police say.

Now, drugs squad officers want drivers to shop the pushers to the Swindon Drugs Hotline.

Some dealers will take a cab as far as Bristol, Birmingham and London to pick up supplies, then make deliveries across Swindon.

Detective Sergeant Gerry Watkins, of Swindon police's drugs unit, said it is not hard to spot a pusher.

"They often travel to nearby cities to pick up a deal, then visit several addresses in town," he said.

"We would urge drivers and private hire operators to give us the details of suspicious passengers.

"We need as much information as possible, including a description and the addresses visited.

"By doing this, you could save a life. Heroin doesn't just affect the user, it affects the whole family and the community.

"And the people who do the deals can easily make £200-300 a day."

Cabbies were cautious about discussing the issue. One, who asked not to be named, said: "It has been going on for a while, but drivers have been reluctant to get involved with the police.

"Drivers don't like having people like that in their cab, they don't want to help a dealer do business.

"It doesn't take a genius to work out what is going on when you're driving someone like this around.

"I think cabbies will be more willing to contact the hotline because it is anonymous."

Since being launched in June last year, the confidential hotline has helped land six dealers in jail and cleared drugs worth thousands of pounds off the streets.

The intelligence received is used by undercover officers to plan raids and high-tech surveillance operations.

In common with the rest of the country, heroin abuse is a major problem in Swindon.

Police say the problem has a direct impact on pushing up burglaries, robberies and thefts.