FOUR more people have been arrested in the biggest drugs crackdown ever mounted in Southampton.

Altogether 13 men and women have now been quizzed as part of Operation Towngate, a two-week blitz designed to rid the city of major dealers.

As reported in yesterday's Daily Echo, drugs raids will continue all this week as detectives move to disrupt the supply of class-A drugs in the Southampton area.

The intelligence-led operation, which had been months in the planning, has already seen more than £11,000 worth of drugs seized from addresses across the city.

Police are now awaiting the results of laboratory tests but have confirmed crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy tablets and cannabis are among the drugs found so far.

Last week, nine people were arrested on suspicion of drug offences as undercover officers swooped on 11 addresses around the city.

The on-going crackdown by Southampton's specialist crime team began on Monday last week but the Daily Echo agreed to withhold details at the request of police for operational reasons.

Today detectives confirmed a tenth person was arrested on Friday after a search warrant was executed at Lordshill.

Yesterday three more people were taken into custody following a raid at a property in the St Denys area of the city.

Quantities of cannabis were seized from both addresses.

Det Insp Derek Stubbington, leading the operation, said: "I am sure the hard work and efforts of the crime team in securing these statistics will cause significant disruption to the supply of class-A drugs in the Southampton area."

Police have warned Operation Towngate is just the first in a series of initiatives aimed at catching those who peddle crack cocaine and heroin in Southampton.