POLICE officers will be visiting pubs and clubs in the Valley this weekend in a crackdown on hard drug users.

Officers will visit premises in Haslingden tonight and tomorrow to clamp down on suspected users and pushers.

Flat surfaces, such as toilet cisterns, will also be sprayed with the protective solution WD40.

The town's community beat managers, PCs Linda Haywood and Lukmaan Mulla, came up with the idea for the drugs crackdown, which they said had the backing of landlords.

PC Haywood said the action followed concerns raised by residents at Police and Community Together Meetings (PACT).

She added: "Because WD40 is moisture-based if cocaine is put on it, the drug is absorbed and rendered useless. We are also doing spot checks on pubs we suspect are being used to deal drugs.

"All the Haslingden councillors have agreed on it, and the landlords are happy for us to go in and do this."