FRESH arrests were made as part of the drugbusting operation in the wake of Operations Winner and Werewolf, the GUARDIAN can reveal.

Another campaign - codenamed Waterproof - was launched in the aftermath of the twin operations as new underworld figures moved into the gap in the drugs market.

Det Insp John Phoenix, head of Warrington police's drugs unit, has welcomed the latest round of jail sentences for convicted dealers but stressed that efforts to address the drugs menace are not over.

Even though the streets of Orford and Longford had been cleared of 10 dealers in the Werewolf purges, new dealers moved in, offering to continues the supply of heroin.

Detectives carried out search warrants at 20 addresses in the area as a result of their continuing work, arresting 30 people and charging eight of those with drug supply offences.

Detective Inspector Phoenix said: "It was a follow-up operation to make sure that dealers did not fill the void. It has resulted in a number of arrests in the past couple of weeks.

"The operation is always progressing. We have got to look at the drugs problems and address our resources to them.

"We have made a big hole in drug dealing in the Longford, Hulme and Orford areas.

"Now. some of the addicts are having to travel much further to acquire drugs, which is very good from an enforcement point-of-view."

He also praised the role of the judiciary throughout the operations and highlighted the work carried out by various bodies in rehabilitating abusers.

Operation Winner concentrated on Bewsey and resulted in lengthy prison terms for a number of convicted drug suppliers.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.