Cumbria Police say county line gangs cut from 30 to three

Det Ch Supt Dean Holden says the force 'will throw the kitchen sink' at the issue

The number of county lines drug gangs operating in Cumbria have been cut from 30 to three, police said.

Cumbria Police say investigations in the past year have seen 200 arrests and millions of pounds worth of drugs seized.

Operations, drugs raids and stop searches have been carried out to tackle such organised crime.

However, the officer leading the operation said the "war isn't won yet" and said tackling drugs was a priority.

Det Ch Supt Dean Holden said: "If we have credible intelligence someone is involved in drugs supply in Cumbria then we will throw the kitchen sink at trying to address that."

He said a restructuring of the force had resulted in uniformed officers and detectives working together to "smash organised crime groups".

Police teams have also dismantled a number of sophisticated multimillion-pound commercial cannabis factories across the county.

'Cultural change'

Det Ch Supt Holden added: "Drug supply can involve the exploitation of some the most vulnerable members of the community - children, young people and vulnerable adults.

"Some of these drugs couriers are vulnerable people who've been exploited, I think it's a cultural change in policing that we don't criminalise everybody we assess their legitimate involvement and if they are exploited and vulnerable then they are dealt with as such."

Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall said: "The public can be reassured that Cumbria Constabulary have continued to perform strongly and achieve continued best practice in tackling organised criminal gangs who use vulnerable children and adults to move drugs and money into and out of Cumbria.

"Selling illegal substances and taking drugs is never acceptable, there are no acceptable excuses."

Mr McCall added there was "no place for complacency" and urged people with suspicions about drugs offences to come forward.