POLICE have arrested a further five people for offences of deception linked to an investigation into money laundering.

The arrests follow on from five others, including two solicitors and a chartered accountant, made after raids on a number of addresses in Burnley and Pendle last month.

More than 30 officers from across Lancashire were involved in the latest arrests, which were made following visits to six houses in Brierfield and a commercial property in Burnley at 8am yesterday.

Four males and one female arrested as part of Operation Flourish, an on-going money laundering investigation, were being interviewed at Burnley and Blackburn police stations.

Three houses were searched by police yesterday and a large amount of cash was seized from one. Police also searched the commercial premises in Burnley.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Inspector Dermott Horrigan, said: "The arrests undertaken yesterday are a continuing part of Operation Flourish and should send out a clear message of our commitment to target those within our community who we suspect seek to obtain and launder assets obtained as a result of their criminal activities."

Last month two solicitors, aged 43 and 47, from Farnworths, Finsley Gate, Burnley, were arrested at their homes as part of Operation Flourish, a 15-month surveillance investigation into alleged theft and money laundering offences.

An accountant, aged 53, who works in Burnley, and a male, aged 44, and a female, aged 31, were also arrested as part of the same investigation. All five were released on police bail pending further inquiries.