Eight people were arrested and substantial amounts of heroin and crack cocaine were seized as police launched their biggest blitz on drug dealers.

About 100 officers - one is pictured here with a sniffer dog - in plain clothes and uniforms took part in the raids yesterday as part of Operation Crackdown in Bradford and Keighley.

The operation is a new offensive against drug misuse which has involved setting up a specialist drugs team of 20 officers who will work across all three of the district's police divisions.

Two women, aged 43 and 27, were arrested at an address in Barkerend as police recovered a substantial cache of crack cocaine.

A 25-year-old man will appear before Bingley magistrates next week after being charged with possession of heroin following a raid at West Bank Close, Braithwaite, Keighley.

A substantial amount of heroin was recovered when police raided the home of a 36-year-old woman in Salisbury Road, Keighley, on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. She has also been charged and will appear before Bingley magistrates next week.

A 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to supply in Ings Way, Fairweather Green, Bradford, was cautioned. Officers also recovered a small amount of heroin.

A 24-year-old man and 34-year-old woman, of Reevy Avenue, Buttershaw, Bradford, were arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs and cautioned. And a 26-year-old man, of Ewart Street, Great Horton, Bradford, was arrested for possession with intent to supply.

In one raid at a modern terraced house in Lidget Green, Bradford, officers rammed open the front door in an operation to arrest a man understood to be dealing in Class A drugs. First in were officers in protective clothing followed by uniformed police, plain clothed detectives and a sniffer dog. They were led by Detective Inspector Sheridan Moore who said they were acting on information the householder had drugs on the premises.

"The man was out but there was a female inside, officers searched the house from top to bottom. Our intelligence was that there were drugs in the place," he said.