FOUR people have been arrested and a stash of heroin and crack cocaine have been seized after drugs-busting officers carried out early morning raids.

On Thursday morning, occupants of Bedlington Station’s Thornley Terrace and Ashington’s Pont Street were treated to an unforgettable wakeup call courtesy of Ashington’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT).

Under the banner of Operation Momentum, an ongoing push to dismantle drug operations and put those involved in dealing behind bars, officers executed a warrant at an address on each street.

Once inside, officers, aided by four-legged members of our dog unit, uncovered thousands of pounds worth of suspected heroin and crack cocaine as well as a quantity of cash.

Meanwhile, two men, aged 42 and 29, and two women, aged 34 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Detective Sergeant Rob Beers, one of the officers leading the investigation, has praised the activity and said he hoped it would show residents in the wider Ashington area just how seriously the Force takes reports of drug dealing.

He said: “Operation Momentum, part of the Force’s wider Operation Sentinel, recently celebrated its six month anniversary and the operation is only continuing to grow with no plans to slow down as we continue to do our very best to rid the Ashington area of drugs and make it a safer, happier place to live.”

“Every day our officers are out and about on patrol, speaking to residents, and acting on the information they give us,” he added.

“The public are our eyes and ears and we rely on them to share information with us about what is happening in the community – and yesterday’s activity goes to show that we act swiftly and robustly on that information to keep our communities safe.

“Our Northern Investigation Teams have worked closely with Ashington NPT and we are committed to disrupting offenders and those identified as causing the greatest harm to our community.

“We’ve said it time and time again - drug dealers in any form  do not make for good next door neighbours and no one deserves to have that next door or down the road.

“Please keep supporting Momentum and being our eyes and ears. Together we can make Ashington a safe place to live, work and raise children and a town we can be really proud to call home.”

The four suspects have all been released under investigation as detectives continue their enquiries.

To report drug dealing in your area visit Northumbria Police's website.