Police have netted thousands of pounds worth of drugs and made several arrests in Ferryhill over the last few months.

Officers have staged eight major operations in the town during the last six months, tackling people involved with class A drugs and their supply.

Detective Chief Inspector Colin Pearson of Sedgefield police said Ferryhill had been specifically targetted as a result of information received.

"Out of those eight operations, we've taken out 15 dealers and we've recovered drugs with a street value of over £55,000," he said.

"We believe that operations of this type directly affect the quality of life of the people who live in Ferryhill and Dean Bank.

"We have had very positive feedback from the community that we serve in that area. A number of people at residents and community meetings have said it's a better place to live."

DCI Pearson stressed that more initiatives are planned in the area, adding: "There are ongoing operations as we speak and there will be further operations in the future.

"This has been a major success, but there's no way we're being complacent." It is hoped that the success of the operations will have a knock-on effect for other crime.

The Sedgefield Burglary Action Group believes that many burglaries in the borough are linked to drugs.

The group, formed under the Sedgefield Community Safety Partnership banner, includes representatives from the police, Sedgefield Borough Council, Three Rivers Housing, Disc, Victim Support, the youth offending team and The Northern Echo.

DCI Pearson, who chairs the group, said: "What we're saying in that a lot of the burglaries stem from people trying to get money to buy drugs."

The team is working on a number of initiatives in Ferryhill, including establishing a private landlords association.

Beat officer PC Chris Metcalfe has sent out letters to all private landlords in the area to gauge support for the idea.

DCI Pearson said: "We've had about a 70 per cent return from all the private landlords in Ferryhill wanting a meeting to look into the possibility of forming an association."