THERE’S no doubt that drugs are a scourge on our society in East Lancashire.

What may start as a lark becomes an addiction and otherwise law-abiding people turn to robbery, theft and burglary to get the cash to pay for the heroin and crack cocaine they crave.

Supplying this market is major criminal business and that poses enormous challenges for police.

That’s why it is good to have a concerted, co-ordinated effort like we saw yesterday to dismantle an important supply chain which has been polluting our streets in East Lancashire.

More than 200 officers took part in the operation, breaking down doors and making arrests across the region after eight months of undercover work.

The fact that several forces were able to work so well together is especially heartening since the size of the drugs trade is now such that individual gangs work across regions rather than individual counties.

What’s important is that pressure on the gangsters who run these operations continues to be sustained and relentless.

And we mustn’t allow it to be adversely affected by spending cuts.