A SOLID slab of heroin worth up to £100,000 has been found hidden in a wall near a busy main road.

The one kilo "brick" of the raw drug was discovered by council workmen clearing out rubbish in a back yard just a few feet from Barbara Castle Way in Blackburn town centre.

And police investigating the find - one of the biggest ever in the town - believe it is a sign that dealers are getting increasingly desperate to find safe places to stash their drugs.

The heroin - described as "high quality" - was in a carrier bag behind a stone slab, set in a wall in the Victoria Street area.

Police are not revealing the precise location, but are satisfied that the drugs did not belong to any local resident or businessman.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Mick Gradwell said: "At current prices one gram of heroin goes for around £80 which means this was worth between £70,000 and £100,000 on the street, depending on how it was mixed up. "This is one of several finds we have had this year of drugs stored out of doors. They've been found in bushes, parks, back alleys and building sites.

"Dealers are finding it harder to hide their stuff and are trying to keep it away from their premises. It's our aim to make life as difficult as we can for them."

He added: "This is the largest find we have had like this in its imported state. Usually it is cut up and in bags.

"The owner will be at a significant level in the drugs dealing chain. Taking this amount of drugs off the street will have a major impact."

Police have been doing forensic tests on the drug to find out which country it came from in a bid to establish the possible route it could have taken into East Lancashire.

Nobody has yet been arrested in connection with the find but inquiries are continuing.

The heroin would have looked like solid plaster and Mr Gradwell praised the two council workmen for being alert and reporting it to Blackburn Police.

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