Armed police took to the streets of Southampton as they stepped up the battle against city drug gangs.

Officers with rifles and body armour joined dog handlers and other detectives in a crackdown across the city yesterday.

Detectives used a battering ram to gain entry to a home in the St Mary’s area of the city as the hunt for drug dealers got underway.

Police vans also formed road blocks in Northbrook Road and Argyle Road as the drama unfolded.

Residents watched from their bedroom windows as four men were led from the Northbrook Road property. The men’s hands were tied behind their backs, and they lay on the pavement while officers searched the property.

All four were arrested at the scene on suspicion of possessing class A drugs.

Last night the men, aged between 32 and 25, were continuing to help police with their inquiries.

The arrests come as part of Operation Fortress, a £2m campaign launched by Hampshire Constabulary to wage war on drug peddlers doing business in the city.

The two-year operation, launched in May by a dedicated squad of 31 officers, aims to stamp out serious violence associated with drug dealers, and make Southampton a “hostile” place for them to operate.

Yesterday’s arrests in Northbrook Road formed part of a dramatic day of action, which saw police swoop on four other properties across the city.

Homes in Kern Close and Nelson Road, in Shirley were targeted in early morning raids, while two addresses in Atherley Road were searched during the afternoon.

A total of 11 arrests were made, while class A drugs and hundreds of pounds in cash were also seized.

Detective Inspector Gary Towse, part of the Operation Fortress team, said: “Southampton is a hostile ground for drug dealers. If you come here to deal drugs then we will make life a misery for you.”

DRUGS RAIDS: who was arrested and where - click here