Four people were found with suspected illegal drugs after a sniffer dog carried out a patrol of Darlington pubs and bars.

Durham Police were joined by search dog Charlie as well as police and council licensing officer to tackle drug use in the town as part of Operation Petersburg.

15 licensed premises were visited and searches were carried out.

The Northern Echo: Charlie the sniffer dog Credit: DURHAM CONSTABULARY

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Charlie helped sniff out quantities of cocaine and cannabis, and four suspects will now be interviewed regarding the offences.

Police said the community response to the operation was positive, and added pubs appreciated the joint effort to tackle drugs in the community.

Sgt Paul Vardy said: “This was a productive weekend with search dog Charlie being crucial in detecting those in possession of illegal drugs.