LICENSEES who allow after-hours drinking, contraband cigarettes and unlicensed gaming machines on their premises are being targeted by police and customs officers in a major crackdown.

Firefighters were also drafted in to support a multi-agency approach in Pendle and discovered breaches of fire regulations in a series of raids in the area last weekend.

Off-licenses, pubs and private clubs were all investigated as part of the operation.

It highlighted a number of offences including selling cigarettes to under-16s, drinking after hours, gaming and public entertainment licence breaches and the possession and supply of controlled drugs.

Officers in the operation today warned more raids were on the way.

Police said the first phase of the operation had unearthed some significant findings.

Officers and a team from customs and excise carried out test purchases where cigarettes were being sold to under 16s.

Two people were arrested and charged in relation to the offences.

A further 11 public houses and two clubs were also visited and six warnings issued for gaming machine breaches and public entertainment licence breaches.

Warnings were also given by police to licensees allowing after-hours drinking. The worst case involved a pub which was still open at 4am.

Two men were also arrested in one pub for the possession and supply of controlled drugs.

A club was temporarily shut down for three days for fire safety breaches and customs seized a substantial quantity of cigarettes and tobacco while police found several gaming machine problems at the club.

The club has been brought to the attention of the local magistrates.

Inspector Paul Robertson said further swoops were planned for the near future.

He said: "The operation has been successful and through this we have found areas that we need to concentrate on.

"We have said that we are going to take a strong line on licensing problems because in our experience it has shown that sloppiness on licensees' behalf of allowing people to drink after hours causes extra difficulties for us.

"We are going to be doing the same thing again in about three weeks because we found that many licensees were taking too much of a lax attitude towards the running of their pubs.

"We are advising licensees and off-licence owners to take warning from this operation and to get their businesses in order or else they will be brought to the attention of the local magistrates."