THE latest in a series of drug raids in Swindon has uncovered a cannabis operation at a house in Pinehurst.

Officers from the West Swindon neighbourhood policing team have targeted a number of residential addresses over the past few weeks, uncovering two cannabis factories in Gorse Hill just streets apart.

After securing a drugs warrant for an address on Cricklade Road last week, officers from the West Swindon team executed a raid and discovered an amount of cannabis that had been bagged and prepared for distribution.

A 27-year-old man was arrested in relation to the operation and has been released on police bail while inquiries continue.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “On Thursday officers from the West Swindon team conducted a drugs warrant on Cricklade Road in Pinehurst.

“A 27-year-old male has been questioned on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis and has been released for futher inquiries.”

Officers in the west have been clamping down on drugs as an ongoing priority.

Last month officers stopped two males in Grange Park and following inquiries searched their home addresses, one of which was found to contain a cannabis factory.

Then the first in a series of raids, backed by warrants sworn out by magistrates, revealed similar factories in Gorse Hill.

Sgt Pete Foster, of the West Swindon neighbourhood policing team, said: “Drugs remains a priority in the area, and we are working hard on investigations to tackle the source and supply of drugs in West Swindon.

“We rely on good community intelligence, and would urge anyone in the area who has suspicions about nearby properties to contact us so we can look into it.

“It could be anything, no matter how trivial.

“Obviously it is more difficult to target offenders when there is a distinct smell of cannabis in the middle of the town centre, but if there is a property where you can consistently smell drugs then we need to know about it.

“Similarly if deliveries of fertiliser or any lighting equipment is seen going into a house, or you see people coming and going at all hours of the day, these can all be real signs of drug activity.”

If anyone has any information in relation to the incident or has their suspicions about nearby properties they should call Wiltshire Police on non-emergency number 101 to speak to the neighbourhood policing team.