Ten arrests made in Torquay week of action

Police said they carried out 26 stop-and-searches in Torquay, which led to the seizure of cocaine and heroin

Arrests have been made and illegal drugs seized during an intensive week of police action in a seaside town, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

From 20 January, the force said uniformed and plain-clothed officers took to the streets in Torquay to tackle drugs and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

They arrested 10 people for offences including shoplifting and carried out 26 stop-and-searches, which led to the seizure of cocaine and heroin, it said.

Ch Insp Miranda Pusey, who looks after local policing in south Devon, said similar weekly operations would continue throughout the year.

Sniffer dog Ken was tasked with finding people in Torquay who were believed to be carrying drugs

Police said sniffer dog Ken was tasked with finding people carrying illegal drugs in the town while officers raided properties and stopped cars suspected of containing drugs.

Plain-clothed patrols issued 10 people with Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) and arrested one person for breaching the order.

The PSPO allows police to ban individuals from a town centre for up to 24 hours if they are found to be causing nuisance or disorder.

Ch Insp Pusey said: "This was an opportunity for us to successfully use a number of different tactics and specialist teams to tackle crime in an unpredictable way during a short, intensified period of time.

"We will continue this work throughout the year," she added.