IN straightforward policing terms, the seizure in East Lancashire of a massive haul of heroin that is thought to be the biggest-ever in the area is a splendid result.

But while police say that the capture of this large amount -- with an estimated street value of more than £70,000 -- after a raid on an address in Blackburn, will disrupt drug dealers operating in the town, what is equally outstanding and significant is how this success came about.

For the drugs were seized after officers executed a search warrant they had obtained following a tip-off that they received as part of the Blackburn and Darwen Residents Against Drugs campaign.

And though the result is enhanced by the size of the haul, it is also an outstanding one for both the officers and Blackburn because it materially testifies to how the community can play a vital and successful part in the war against the drugs menace.

Certainly, every weapon needs to be employed against this evil and ordinary people can have a crucial role when they discover drugs being trafficked in their neighbourhood -- by reporting the trade and its participants to the police.

After all, drug abuse is not just a curse for the addicts it enslaves, but also for the entire community when it is estimated that up to 80 per cent of crime is committed by users desperate to fund their habit. And when, every day, the tentacles of this evil extend so widely and perniciously into the community in the form of burglary, car crime, mugging and the general fear of crime, decent, law-abiding citizens have not only every reason to fight back against the drugs menace, they also have a duty to.

It may not always be the case that their participation produces such spectacular results and that all sorts of other initiatives need to be employed in this war, but the demonstration today of public's part in the campaign encouragingly highlights not only how successful it can be, but also how the tide may be turned if even more join in.