Jamaican minister visits Bristol

Dr Philips met people from the St Paul's area of Bristol

A senior government minister from Jamaica has been visiting Bristol to discuss ways of battling the inner city's growing drug problem.

On Tuesday morning, Dr Peter Philips, the minister for national security, met people in St. Paul's to hear their views.

Drugs squad officers from Avon and Somerset police have raided several addresses in St Paul's and made more than 30 arrests over the past few months under the ongoing Operation Atrium.

Dr Philips is spending a week in Britain at the invitation of the Home Office.

The minister visited St Paul's on Tuesday

Acting chief inspector, Bruce Ballagher said: "There are so-called mules who are arriving on planes from Jamaica carrying drugs like cocaine, which is massively cheaper there than it is here.

"These are a major link to volume crime in Bristol."

The minister's visit is intended to forge greater links between law enforcement agencies in Jamaica and Avon and Somerset police.

"We're prepared to collaborate on our intelligence and prepared to collaborate operationally," Dr Philips said.

Build co-operation

"We are prepared to modernise our own force and its capabilities and we want to run joint operations where possible with the Avon and Somerset force.

"We are just beginning our association with the Avon and Somerset force.

"We have already had some exchanges of personnel, but that hasn't been on any kind of formal basis.

"Now we are going to explore what other ways we can build on our co-operation."