NEIGHBOURS came out on to the streets to cheer and applaud as police targeted the homes of suspected drug dealers.

Six people - five men and one woman - were arrested after drugs squad officers raided four properties in Rodney Street, Hartlepool.

Police were backed by up to 40 cheering residents as they entered three more premises in nearby Dent Street.

Heroin, heroin substitute, cannabis resin and money were seized by officers in the raids on Tuesday, which followed tip-offs by the public.

Acting Detective Sergeant Darren Cass, of Cleveland Police, said: "Residents came out in force on to the streets as the raids were under way to applaud the actions of police.

"We even had one driver sounding his horn and giving us the thumbs-up sign.

"Even though the raids in Dent Street produced no tangible results, people could see that we are not prepared to let drug-dealing take a hold in this area."

The raids were carried out as part of Operation Sabre - a Cleveland Police anti-crime initiative. It was launched a year ago and has so far resulted in more than 1,300 arrests.

Police said the six people arrested were in their late twenties and early thirties. One male was later released without charge and the other five were given bail pending further inquiries.

Det Sgt Cass said the intelligence-led operation was designed to bring to book a small minority in the area involved in drug-dealing who were bringing misery to the local community.

He said: "We are determined to use all the legislation available to us and take further action to ensure people involved in drug dealing are now evicted from these streets."

Bill Iseley, councillor for Hartlepool's Grange Ward, which includes Rodney Street and Dent Street, said the area had been blighted by drug dealing for a number of years.

"The vast majority of people living in this area are hard-working, good people and they should not have to put with their streets being made unsafe by the dregs of society," he said.

"These people are the scum of the earth and no one living locally will be sorry to see the back of them. The reaction of local residents obviously shows the strength of feeling about this problem."