TEN men and two women appeared in court yesterday following a major drugs raid.

Operation Nimrod, which marks the start of a determined effort by Durham Police to crack down on every drug market in the area, got under way on Wednesday morning.

Thirteen homes were targeted – 11 in Seaham, one on Wearside and another in Hetton- le-Hole – and led to the initial arrest of 11 men and four women, who were questioned at Peterlee and Durham police stations.

As a result, ten men and two women, charged with a range of drug-related offences, appeared before Peterlee magistrates.

Simon Crowder, prosecuting, said the charges had arisen from undercover police operations, which had begun earlier this year.

First to appear were Mark Stephen Anderson, 33, of Blanford Place, Katrina Marie Naisbitt, 22, of Beech Crescent, and Lee Robert Percival, 27, of Portland Avenue, all Seaham, and Robert William Bate, 29, of Abadar Road, Farringdon, Sunderland.

Each was charged with conspiring to supply heroin and all were remanded in custody to Durham Crown Court on Wednesday.

Michelle Gray, 19, of Blanford Place, Seaham, is charged with supplying a quantity of heroin and was remanded to the same date on unconditional bail.

John Nelson, 37, of Houghton Road, Hetton-le- Hole, is charged with supplying heroin and possessing a quantity of heroin with intent to supply. He was remanded without bail to crown court on the same day. Magistrates also granted an application to hold three months’ cash, totalling £2,121, seized from Mr Nelson’s property.

Ashley Guy, 26, of the same Hetton-le-Hole address, was remanded on unconditional bail to crown court on the same date on a charge of supplying heroin. The same detention of cash was applied.

Also remanded in custody to the same date was Nathan Norman Cole, 25, of no fixed address, who faces charges of supplying heroin.

Paul Duffy, 43, of Somerset Street, Sunderland, and Martin Grievson, 26, of Beech Crescent, in Seaham, were remanded in custody to crown court on Wednesday on charges of supplying heroin.

Brothers Mark McGhin, 24, of Hawthorn Square and Peter McGhin, 26, of Frederick Street, both Seaham, who are facing charges of supplying heroin, were granted conditional bail to Wednesday when they will also appear at Durham Crown Court.

Before yesterday’s hearing Assistant Chief Constable Mike Barton, referring to the Nimrod strikes, said similar operations would now be carried out in communities across County Durham and Darlington.