TWO men were arrested in dawn raids launched as part of the battle against drugs in a York community.

Class A narcotics and a large amount of cash were seized by police teams when they forced their way into two houses in Clifton and one in Foxwood in a pre-Christmas crackdown.

The operation, involving 20 officers, took the tally of warrants executed by the Clifton Safer Neighbourhood Team to 70 in the last 18 months, with two local men, aged 26 and 23, arrested on suspicion of involvement in drug supplying.

The raids in Crichton Avenue, Burdyke Avenue and Doherty Walk were instigated following tip-offs from Clifton residents about drug-dealing in the area. The men arrested are currently on bail pending further inquiries.

Sergeant Martin Metcalfe, of the Clifton Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Burton Green and Crichton Avenue are nice areas with mostly nice people trying to get on with their lives.”

“Unfortunately, some people in the area persist in making local residents’ lives a misery by misusing drugs and supplying them. It brings with it a host of problems, including undesirable people coming to the street and crime being committed in the area so people can fund their habits.

Sgt Metcalfe, who praised the Safer York Partnership and drugs agency Compass for their roles in tackling the problem, said more than 250 leaflets and letters had been issued informing Clifton residents of the action taken.