PRESTON police's drug squad set out again this week on a number of dawn raids.

In the latest round-up of suspected drug dealers, the squad brought the number of people charged with drugs offences up to 36.

The swoops involved 50 officers working from Preston police station, and has helped round up class A drugs including heroin and ecstasy.

Operation Nimrod aims to rid Preston's streets of hard drugs by targeting the source of the problem, the city's drug dealers. Since Nimrod began in spring, 87 warrants have been carried out, resulting in 88 arrests. So far 36 people have now been charged for the supply of class A drugs.

In the latest step, three people were being questioned in connection with drugs related offences yesterday, including a 37-year-old Deepdale woman, a 33-year-old man from the same area and a third male.

And on Monday the police made one of their most significant arrests to date, when they stopped a man in possession of 30 bags of heroin, with a street value of around £300.

Detective Inspector Andy Murphy of Preston police said: "This is yet another excellent arrest demonstrating that Operation Nimrod is a permanent feature of our policing. Our focus is upon removing drug dealers from the streets."

Now the officer in charge of the raids has promised the arrests are not the end of the matter, and the squad will continue making regular arrests.