County lines: Police arrest 49 in East Yorkshire operation

Officers seized cannabis, cocaine, heroin, £48,000 in cash and eight weapons during the week-long operation

Police arrested 49 people as part of a week-long operation to tackle county lines drug dealing in East Yorkshire.

Humberside Police worked with West Yorkshire Police and Merseyside Police to target those bringing drugs into the county.

Officers charged 17 people from Hull, Bradford, Grimsby, Liverpool, Manchester and Bridlington with drug-related offences from 7-13 March.

Twenty six others were released under investigation while inquiries continue.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said the week of action saw over 1,400 arrested and 671 vulnerable people safeguarded across England and Wales.

County lines is the name given to drug dealing networks connecting urban and rural areas across the UK through dedicated mobile phones.

The force said it also checked on vulnerable people who were at increased risk of cuckooing, where someone's home is commandeered by criminals as a base for selling drugs.

Officers seized eight weapons during the operation, along with £48,000 of cash, cocaine worth £5,000 and 250 wraps of crack and heroin.

Det Ch Insp Simon Vickers said: "At the heart of county lines gangs are exploited and vulnerable adults and children who need to be extricated from those situations and protected from further harm.

"We take all reports of child criminal exploitation and drug activity seriously and would encourage anyone with any information to call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously".