QUANTITIES of cocaine, heroin and spice have been successfully seized following a week of intensified police action in South Devon.

Specialist sniffer dog Ken was among the team that hit the streets of Torquay, alongside plain clothed officers during the operation, which aimed to tackle drugs and antisocial behaviour.

Chief Inspector Miranda Pusey, who heads up neighbourhood policing in South Devon, said: ‘This wasn’t a one-off week of action.

‘This was an opportunity for us to successfully use a number of different tactics and specialist teams to tackle crime in an unpredictable way during a short, intensified period of time.’

More than 20 stop searches resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin and spice.

Ten arrests were made for a number of offences, including shoplifting.

One man was also sent to prison for a minimum term of three-years for being in possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

Ten people were dispersed under the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) - an arrest was made for a breach of the order.

‘I am pleased we were able to have such a disruptive impact on criminals operating in Torquay within a short period of time’ Chief Inspector Pusey said.

‘I know how important it is for our communities to see the proactive work we do and the outcomes we achieve as a result of this.

‘I hope this demonstrates our ongoing commitment to be visible on your streets, respond to your concerns and pursue individuals causing harm in our communities.

‘Criminals use different tactics to try and evade our officers, but we’re always adapting and bringing in new ways to pursue them. We will continue this work throughout the year, using unpredictable tactics.

‘We want Torquay to remain a hostile place for offenders to operate and a safe place for everyone to live, work and visit’ Chief Inspector Pusey added.

The week of intensified action wrapped up on January 26, but these proactive operations will continue throughout the year, police have said.