TWO people are due in court following a string of police raids in York.

As part of Operation Ratcatcher, the Evening Press-backed winter crime crackdown, officers searched addresses in York and Selby yesterday, and raided another house today.

One man has been charged with possession of controlled drugs and is due to appear before magistrates on January 8. Another man has been charged with perverting the course of justice, drink driving, criminal damage and other driving offences.

A woman wanted for robbery was arrested when officers carried out a raid on a house in Clifton today.

Three other people arrested on suspicion of possessing controlled drugs have been bailed pending further inquiries. One is being investigated for burglary following the discovery of electrical equipment in the raids.

Most of yesterday's raids took place in the Acomb area, but a man was arrested in Selby as part of the operation.

The raids were based on tip-offs passed on to police under the Ratcatcher scheme. The crime-busting campaign encourages members of the public to use the Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 number to tip off the police anonymously about criminals in their area. The police have pledged to act on all genuine tip-offs.

Updated: 11:54 Friday, January 03, 2003