FOURTEEN people have been arrested and drugs with a street value of over £10,000 seized in a crackdown on crack cocaine and heroin dealers in Burnley.

Operation codenamed Avon began last night as houses in the Daneshouse and Duke Bar areas of Burnley were raided by officers from the drugs squad backed up by uniformed officers from the local division.

The operation aimed at drug dealers inthe town is continuing today and is likely to extend into tomorrow.

About 80 officers were involved in making the arrests which were the culmination of a four-month intelligence gathering operation.

Thirteen men and one woman are now being questioned at Burnley and Colne police stations.

Officers from Lancashire Drugs Branch led by Det Chief Insp Paul Buschini, took part in the series of raids.

Sledgehammers were used to break down doors at some of the houses targeted when Avon called shortly after 7.30am.

Quantities of substances believed to include heroin and cannabis were seized and have been taken away for analysis.

DCI Buschini, head of the drugs branch at police headquarters at Hutton said the operation was aimed at arresting dealers in crack cocaine and heroin.

Four men were arrested last night when heroin with a street value of £10,000 was seized.

More substances were recovered today and have been taken away for analysis.

No-one has yet been charged but charges are expected later today with a number of people likely to appear before magistrates in the town tomorrow. Burnley police boss Superintendent Mike Griffin said drug-related deaths in the town were running at about one a month.

Police were also concerned at the financial and crime costs of what was seen as a major drugs problem in the town.

Last year, 331 people were arrested for drugs offences, a 46 per cent increase on last year.

Supt Griffin said heroin users were known to spend up to £80 a day to feed their habit, needing to steal goods valued at £87,000 a year to finance their addiction.

Police were determined to crack down on drugs dealers whose pernicious trade led to death, deprivation, misery and ruination of lives.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.