Police were today seeking court orders to shut 'crack houses' for three months after Drugs raids across the district.

At least 17 people were arrested in the swoops yesterday at more than 12 addresses linked to drug users, crime and anti-social behaviour.

Most of the arrests were for possessing controlled drugs with intent to supply and possessing class A drugs. One person was arrested on suspicion of burglary and others were detained on fines warrants.

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Telegraph & Argus, the operation - code-named Constantine - was the biggest-ever offensive against suspected drug dens mounted by West Yorkshire Police, with more than 100 officers involved in the co-ordinated raids which had been planned for three months.

Police used battering rams to gain entry to mainly-rented properties in Bradford city centre, Clayton, Queensbury, Thornbury, Manningham, Undercliffe, Thornton, Shipley and Keighley. They executed search warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act. A quantity of drugs were recovered. Today they were using Anti-Social Behaviour legislation to apply to Bradford magistrates to close the addresses for three months.

Superintendent Dave Oldroyd, who was in charge of the operation, said four tenants from the homes raided had voluntarily given up their tenancies which would be boarded up. He said all those arrested had been offered help by Drugs Intervention Programme workers in a bid to break their cycle of drugs addiction and crime.

Supt Oldroyd declared: "I am delighted with the success of the operation. We hope we have improved the quality of lives for people living next to the drugs premises, and also of those arrested."

Alan Dalton, head of the DIP in Bradford, said there was a recognised link between drugs and crime. "We, alongside our partners, have a responsibility to break that cycle," he said. "We have had officers on hand in the cells to work with people."

Ian Simpson, of Bradford Community Housing Trust, said: "I cannot emphasise enough the need to do this work. We are committed to protecting our residents."