DRUGS 'Mr Big' Ayub Khansia neither knew nor cared who would suffer as a result of his heroin supply operation. So his capture and imprisonment is rightly heralded as a major victory in the war on dealers.

Police say Khansia was second only to the international gang lords who import drugs into the country. The raid in which he was caught resulted in the discovery of heroin with a street value of £148,000 - the biggest seizure in Blackburn for 10 years.

The targeting of major players in the supply of drugs should always be the police's number one priority. Their activities can be directly linked to scores of other crimes, ranging from shoplifting and car crime to violence. Cutting out the reason for the crime is a policy which is already bearing fruit - cutting the number of offences being committed - and must be continued.

But, as the police point out today, this latest victory by no means signals the end of the war. It won't be long before another Ayub Khansia begins peddling death on our streets.

Thankfully, police now seem to be listening when residents report drug dealing neat their homes, whether through a simple phone call with information or at one of the numerous community meetings held across our area.

We must continue to support them and play our own part in the fight against a menace which affects us all in some way.