Police made eight arrests for drug related offences after a series of drugs busts in Chippenham this morning.

Officers had warrants to search four properties, on Hungerdown Lane; Field View, off Charter Road; and two on Sheldon Road after thermal imaging cameras had located suspicious levels of heat at some addresses.

Police, armed with shields for protection against the Staffie dogs believed to be inside, used steel enforcers to ram the doors for surprise entry. PCSO Mark Cook said: “You never know what to expect.”

Sheldon Road resident Chris Clifford, 64, saw 20 officers charging up the street en masse as the raids began on other properties in the street. He said: “I’d just got up and I saw them coming down the road, 50,000 of them. I was frightened to death."

An amount of cannabis, drugs paraphernalia, cash and a BlackBerry were seized after sniffer dogs were brought in to help search homes and lofts.

Three men and a woman from Sheldon Road flats, one man from Field View, and three men from Hungerdown Lane were led out of the properties in handcuffs and placed in police vans.

Phil Staynings, Inspector for Chippenham, Calne and Corsham, said: “It is a good result, it sends a good message to people.”

GreenSquare staff were quickly on the scene to fix the doors. The housing group had been working with police after receiving several complaints about antisocial behaviour at the addresses.