A team of eight police officers from the Inner Neighbourhood Policing Unit (NPU) targeted a house in the Garden Lane area at 11am yesterday after receiving intelligence of drugs activity.

Sgt Ian Stead, who led the raid, said: "We believe that over £1,000 of hard drugs were found, including cocaine and heroin.

"The teams worked hard and we are very happy we have had a successful warrant."

A man was arrested and is due to appear before Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston magistrates today.

The raid is the second in the city within a week.

Last Thursday, the same team from the Inner NPU swooped on a house in North Street, Boughton.

Officers arrested a man on suspicion of possession of a class C drug with intent to supply and he was taken to Blacon Police Station for questioning.

He was later cautioned for possession of cannabis.

Sgt Stead said: "Residents should know that just because we have carried out two drugs warrants in a week they are not living in drug-riddled areas.

"They should be reassured that as soon as we have information we act on it.

"We get intelligence from different sources and information is important no matter how small."

PC Steve Hannam took part in both raids and said: "I hope this sends out a strong message that police in the Inner Neighbourhood Policing Unit do not tolerate drugs of any kind.

"I don't think there is a problem with drugs in Chester as such.

"It's like any other big city and has various backgrounds and cultures and therefore drugs activity going on.

"We just struck gold with the two warrants."

Both houses were raided after being granted a search warrant by magistrates under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

PC Hannam added: "We are trying to stamp out drugs misuse in the area and we ask anybody in the public who is concerned about drugs in their area to contact us.

"This makes a stand in the community that any misuse of drugs will not be tolerated.

"We reassure the public that the police are acting in their interest to deal with the misuse of drugs."

People who have any information about drugs misuse can pass it on, in confidence, to the voicemail facility at the Inner Neighbourhood Policing Unit on 0845 458 6384 or they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 11.