A CRACKdown on visitors smuggling drugs into a North-East prison has led to the arrests of 12 people.

Police and staff at Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution, at Barnard Castle, County Durham, teamed up to launch a two-month operation in an effort to clamp down on visitors smuggling drugs to inmates.

The operation resulted in 12 arrests of male and female adults from around the country, and police yesterday confirmed that two people have already been charged for attempting to smuggle drugs, including heroin, Ecstasy, cannabis and prescribed drugs, into the prison.

Police said more charges were expected to follow when the results of laboratory tests on seized substances were completed.

As part of the crackdown, all visitors to the prison, which houses 482 inmates aged between 18 and 20, are screened and face checks by a sniffer dog.

Police and prison staff have hailed the operation a huge success, and officers at Deerbolt have promised to continue to heighten visitor checks.

Detective Sergeant Sean Jackson, of Bishop Auckland CID, said: "Visitors were drawn from a wide area and the police and staff at Deerbolt were delighted with the success, and we promise that the operation will continue."

A prison service spokesman said: "Deerbolt staff and police share a determination to protect the public and the young men in their care from the effects of illegal drugs."