THE biggest ever crackdown on criminals in Pendle was launched today with a wave of raids on the homes of suspected burglars and drug dealers.

Operation Firebreak included scores of specially-trained officers, drugs search dogs and the force helicopter in raids on houses of suspected crooks and drug dealers in the Nelson and Colne areas.

Initially three houses were raided simultaneously with a total of 15 warrants being executed, eight in Colne and seven in Nelson.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police are also working with local police at an undisclosed location to identify the vehicles of criminals using the high-tech "Automatic Number Plate Recognition System".

Firebreak which will continue for some days is aimed at searching for both Class A and Class B drugs.

Weeks of planning have gone into the operation, which began with a briefing at Colne police station this morning. Dozens of specially-trained officers and extra vans, cars and dogs were drafted in from other parts of Lancashire Constabulary to help local officers.

They included support unit officers with dogs specially trained to sniff out drugs.

The massive operation is being supervised by Colne Inspector Richard Morgan and Nelson Inspector Stuart Harman who have described it as being one of the biggest operations ever carried out locally.

Insp Morgan said: "Operation Firebreak has been launched in response to an increase in local crime and in our quest to find the perpetrators we will leave no stone unturned."

He added: "We have good intelligence as to who is responsible for committing the majority of local crimes and now we are going after them.

"We are determined to combat crime and transfer the fear of crime away from the victim and those who commit it.