NINE people were arrested and drugs and cash were seized after police raided four houses in Burnley today.

Officers smashed their way into three properties in Clifton Street and another in Willow Street, both in Stoneyholme, following months of intelligence gathering.

They found amphetamine worth around £1,500 and £20,000 in cash, believed to be drugs money.

They also seized two scooters thought to be involved in criminal operations.

Meanwhile, Lancashire detectives uncovered amphetamine worth up to £170,000 at a house in Stretford, Manchester, following a related joint raid with counterparts from Greater Manchester Police.

Afterwards, Det Insp Dean Holden, from Burnley police, who led the operation, said he was “very pleased” with the results.

He added: “We had evidence that there was a large quantity of drugs in these homes and also some cash.

“This is the result of an ongoing probe by our targeted crime team who investigate organised crime in the division.

“Drug dealers are the people who commit serious acquisitive crime, such as burglaries and robberies, and they have a real impact on people’s lives.”

Amphetamine is the “approved medicine” of many of Burnley’s serious criminals, added Mr Holden.

Yesterday, police were making door to door visits in Clifton Street and Willow Street as they explained to residents why homes had been raided.

One woman in her 20s, who lives in Clifton Street, said: “I have lived in this area all my life and I have never seen anything like this. It’s usually quite a quiet area.”

Another woman, in her 40s, added: “It was my day off but I was woken up by all the banging and shouting.

“It’s not that bad around here but there is the drugs centre at the top of the road and you do get people cutting through to get to Clifton Farm and Stoneyholme.”

Detectives are quizzing eight men and a woman from Burnley, along with a Manchester woman, on suspicion of supplying Class B drugs following the operation.