A BIG crackdown on drugs in Washington has led to more than £200,000 worth of drugs being recovered in the past six weeks.

Officers from Northumbria Police used a £7,000 grant from the Communities Against Drugs Initiative to help them arrest 17 people for drugs offences and recover more than £10,000 worth of property stolen in burglaries.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Byrne, crime manager at Washington, Tyne and Wear, said: "The provision of this money allowed us to free officers up to deal with drugs intelligence on a more pro-active level, which has had a significant impact on crime across the area.

"Criminals who actively deal in drugs are also frequently involved in other crimes. This means that by targeting drug dealers we also make a real impact on other crimes which are being committed.

"As a direct result of this drugs initiative, house burglary has fallen across Washington to its lowest level for a decade."

House burglaries in Washington fell in February, with 52 burglaries reported compared with 85 last February.