TWELVE people have been arrested in a series of raids to disrupt the supply of heroin into North Yorkshire.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police's Organised Crime Unit carried out a series of raids at properties around Scarborough on Wednesday morning, as part of Operation Impact - an ongoing investigation started in October 2013 to tackle the supply and distribution of drugs into Scarborough.

Following searches of properties in Pollard Gardens, Dean Road, Billow Drive, Gildercliffe and Wooler Street, 11 men aged between 30 and 64 and one woman aged 38 were arrested and taken into custody for questioning.

Detective Inspector Jason Marchant, of the OCU, said: "The simple fact is that drugs ruin people’s lives and it is the responsibility of North Yorkshire Police to protect our communities from the harm they can cause by cutting off the supply.

"Officers in Scarborough have been working extremely hard over the past few years to identify and arrest people suspected of dealing drugs in the area and their commitment has paid off recently with a number of convictions. These latest 12 arrests are part of an ongoing crackdown on drug dealing, not just in Scarborough but across North Yorkshire."

Anyone with information which could help police with their investigation should phone 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.