Homes raided in Oswestry GHB crackdown

Seven homes in Oswestry and one property in Westbury, near Shrewsbury, were targeted in simultaneous swoops this morning which were carried out by teams of officers hunting for "kitchen factories" producing the illegal drug.

Officers in protective clothing used chainsaws to cut through the front doors of flats and houses, taking residents inside by surprise.

Operation Bubble began at a secret meeting point from where a convoy of up to 30 police vehicles travelled along the A5 to Oswestry. Police teams smashed into four addresses in the Swan Lane and Castlefields areas of Oswestry along with three others in the town, while another team travelled to Westbury.

Twelve people were arrested on suspected drug offences during the raids.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Edwards, head of Shropshire CID, said the operation was the latest move to combat the trend in GHB use. Oswestry has the highest number of GHB users per head in Britain.

Mr Edwards said: "GHB is an extremely dangerous substance, with sedative and anaesthetic effects. We have become increasingly worried about the damage this drug is causing, not only to users but to local communities which have to suffer the anti-social behaviour of those under its influence.

"There have been at least two suspected deaths in Shropshire linked to the use of GHB. There have also been a number of life-threatening incidents."

The convoy drew up in Swan Lane just after 9am. Mr Edwards said: "The main objectives were to disrupt the production and supply of GHB in the Oswestry area, to target those producing drugs in illicit kitchen laboratories and to protect the public from illegal drugs."

He added that he believed officers had made "positive seizures" of drugs during the raid but they need to be analysed.

By Sue Austin