DRUGS were seized from nine people at York Station during a day-long crime crackdown.

This sniffer dog - a black border collie working for British Transport Police - helped officers track down a range of drugs including amphetamines, heroin and cannabis from people at the station yesterday.

Some have been arrested, and others are awaiting police interview.

The dog was part of a high-visibility transport police operation code-named Zircon - aimed at targeting criminals and reassuring the public.

Nearly 30 uniformed and plain clothes officers were at the station for the "public reassurance and crime reduction" day, which included giving rail users crime prevention advice and giving reassurance - particularly in the light of heightened terrorist awareness after July's London bombings.

A force spokesman said rail companies were also checking travellers' tickets on platforms.

British Transport Police have been running the operation across the North-East since May - but now plan to step it up in the countdown to Christmas, meaning that York Station will see similar activity about once a fortnight over the coming weeks.

Sergeant Neil Ashworth said part of the operation was to combat the number of thefts committed at the station. "We're here to give people security - to provide safety, security and crime prevention advice.

"We're getting towards the end of November - during the Christmas period unfortunately we can also see an attraction to people who want to commit crime and carry out thefts."

But some commuters did not find it reassuring.

One York woman, arriving back into the city, said: "It didn't really reassure - it just made us wonder what was going on. They were checking our tickets on the way out."

Evening Press sub-editor Stuart Martel, who was travelling to Leeds, said: "There were a lot of people not knowing what was going on."

Updated: 09:21 Saturday, November 19, 2005