TWO men named by a police chief as people suspected of making life a misery for the community have been arrested as part of an early morning raid.

John Watson and Billy Wilson, both 37, were among a group of five men and one woman taken into custody this morning. (Thursday, April 3)

Dozens of officers targeted four homes in the Bishop Auckland area and one in Brandon, County Durham, as part of an operation to tackle organised crime.

Five men, aged 26, 31, 35, 37, 48, and a 57-year-old woman are being held on suspicion of a number of offences, including bigamy, perjury, animal cruelty, providing false passport and driving licence details and theft of a vehicle.