Detectives investigating gangland feuding in Bradford were today questioning eight men after swooping on a car valeting business and two detached houses.

Teams of officers, including forensic and scenes of crime experts, raided the premises of Motorwise in Toller Lane, Heaton, and two homes in nearby Ryelands Grove and Bingley Road, at 6am today.

At least two young men were led by detectives from one of the houses and a total of eight arrests were made during the operation.

The pre-planned operation was part of a long-running investigation into a feud between gangs involving incidents of criminal damage, threats and firearms offences.

A number of police forensic officers, wearing full-length white protective suits, masks and rubber gloves, combed the three premises, which were cordoned off with blue and white tape, and removed a number of items in boxes and bags.

Sniffer dogs were also involved in the searches.

People living nearby said there had been persistent problems around the Motorwise premises, which has signs advertising car-washing and valeting and accident claims services, and police had been called on a number of occasions.

Sarah Hennessey, who lives yards from the car business, said police officers armed with machine guns had been called to the site after an incident one night.

She said: "Some blokes turned up with balaclavas and baseball bats and began trashing the car lot. Some people were in the office and ran out of the back and past my house. Four armed police response units turned up.

"During the evenings lots of young men would pull up at the car lot in expensive cars, like Subarus and BMWs. They would make lots of noise and give you abuse if you looked at them.

"I don't know if the people who run the business knew what was going on there in the evening."

Another resident, who was too worried to be named, said: "It has been like living in a war zone for the last year or two. Up to 30 or 40 kids gather here shouting and bawling, 24 hours a day. Sometimes they have baseball bats and people have been attacked. People come in from outside the area. All the neighbours are up in arms. The police keep coming here."

A woman, who also did not want to be named, said: "It used to be an ordinary petrol station until two years ago and it has been a nightmare since. Lots of cars park up at night like they are having a public meeting.

"There have been a number of police raids and the helicopter has been up before."

Neighbours in Ryelands Grove said a family had moved into the large detached house, raided yesterday, about four years ago.

One woman said: "Lots of young men would come and go to the house. At first they would block the street with their cars so nobody could get out, and sit talking. We set up a Neighbourhood Watch and alerted the police and they have been dealing with it."

Four cars were parked in the drive of the house yesterday - a silver Subaru, a silver BMW, a black Vauxhall Vectra and a black Ford Fiesta.

The investigation has been led by Detective Superintendent Paul Kennedy, of West Yorkshire Police's Homicide and Major Enquiry Team.

A police spokesman said last night: "As part of an ongoing investigation into a number of incidents, which happened across the Bradford district in January this year, and included criminal damage and threats being made, police today executed search warrants at three addresses.

"Eight men have been arrested on suspicion of offences including money-laundering, firearms offences and theft of motor vehicles. They are currently in custody and inquiries are ongoing."

e-mail: steve.wright@bradford.newsquest.co.uk