SEASIDE drug dealers were given a harsh warning as police swooped on 29 suspects in a series of dawn raids.

Some 160 officers from around Lancashire took part in Operation Tarifa on Wednesday, September 26 which saw 22 men and seven women arrested.

The suspected drug dealers were taken from 20 addresses, which centred on the inner wards of Foxhall, Talbot, Claremont, Brunswick, Tyldesley and Layton.

The operation began around 7am when more than 20 personnel carriers and other police vehicles left central police station and travelled to the target areas. Special officers included search teams and dog handlers with drug detection sniffer dogs.

Det Chief Insp Stuart Williams, who is in charge of the operation, explained: "The arrests were made as a result of gathered intelligence over the last three months. The police have been listening to the community about how drug dealing and the burglaries and theft related to it seriously affects quality of life in the town.

"By arresting people believed to be dealing in drugs in the area we hope the result will be disruption to the drugs market in Blackpool and the Fylde. This target day is only the start of a massive drive by the police to reduce drug dealing and drug related crime in the area."

The Blackpool Community Safety Partnership has secured a £420,000 award for the next three years from the Government's Communities Against Drugs initiative. The £140,000 allocated for this year is being used by the Blackpool Drugs Action Team to tackle drug dealing and related crime in Blackpool -- of which this operation forms part of the assault.

Paolo Pertica, the co-ordinator for Blackpool's Drug Action Team, said the four main objectives of the National Drug Strategy that is being implemented in Blackpool are:

TO HELP young people resist drug use

TO PROTECT communities from drug-related crimes

To TREAT people with drug problems and

To STIFLE the availability of illegal drugs on the streets.

He added: "The drugs problem in Blackpool is no worse than in any other part of Britain and I am confident that in the next three years we will be able to significantly decrease drug dealing and related crime."

Norman Hardy, councillor for Tyldesley ward and representative for Blackpool Borough Council on the police authority, accompanied officers as they carried out the raids.

He said: "It was very interesting and very sad really. I was very impressed with the professionalism I saw by the police and feel re-assured that we will be able to combat drugs in the resort."