Campaign to crack drug crime

Crack addicts need around £590 a week to fund their habit

Detectives in Surrey are asking local residents to help them tackle the supply and use of crack cocaine and heroin.

Surrey Police have launched a Drugs Destroy Communities campaign to warn that the impact of drug addiction goes far beyond the effect on the addict themselves.

The campaign will enforce a zero tolerance policy on suppliers of Class A drugs as well as educating people about the help available to drug users and their families.

The force says increasing drug use in the county has lead to a growth in drug-related crime.

'Vital message'

The average addict needs around £590 a week to fund their habit and this has lead to more car thefts, house burglaries, fraud and violent street robberies, officers claim.

Surrey Police, who have seized drugs worth £3m and arrested 30 dealers in the past 12 months, say the onus is on everyone to tackle the problem.

Superintendent Kevin Deanus, said: "The vital message is that we cannot ignore illegal drugs and if we know something about the problem we must do something about it.

"This is as true for a member of the public as it is for the police."