FOURTEEN people were arrested when police swooped on a town centre pub labelled as a haunt for drugs dealers and users.

Landlady Karen Buck, 30, was among those detained when officers raided The Swan Hotel, Blackburn, and recovered around £2,000 in cash as well as substances believed to be heroin, cannabis and amphetamine.

She was later released on police bail, pending further inquiries along with two other people. But her father has now vowed to take her out of the pub, which he leases from brewers Whitbread.

Four people have been charged with drugs dealing offences and were due to appear before Blackburn magistrates today. The remaining seven people were charged with drugs-related offences and were released on police bail.

The operation, codenamed Volga, followed lengthy police investigations and was launched as part of the crackdown on drugs announced by divisional commander Supt Eddie Walsh in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph last month. The Swan, on Astley Gate, was named as a place where drugs could be bought, during an inquest into the death of Langho teenager Gareth Noone, who died from a drugs overdose.

Blackburn also has the highest number of drugs arrests in the county so far this year.

Local officers, together with the force's support unit and dog handlers surrounded the pub at around 2pm yesterday. The cash and drugs were recovered during a detailed search of the pub and the home addresses of the people arrested.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Neil Smith said: "A search warrant was executed at the premises and a number of people were arrested in connection with drugs offences.

"It appears that the takings of drugs dealers were higher than those behind the bar."

"People who use and deal in drugs should be warned that they are not above the law and we will catch them."

The pub re-opened briefly later in the day but is now expected to be closed until the end of the week.

Karen's father, experienced licensee Walter Buck, 60, said: "The pub will be closed today and I think I am going to have to put it back in my wife's or my own name."

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