Police are deploying drugs dogs to the streets of Huddersfield in an operation to sniff out drug offending in bars and clubs.

The Kirklees Town Centre Partnership has said more work is planned after it took to the streets with a drugs dog on Saturday January 28 in a wide ranging night-time economy operation which saw the team seize Class A and B drugs.

Officers in plain clothes and uniform visited 11 bars and pubs with Casper the drugs dog who found three people carrying cocaine and three carrying class B drugs.

One arrest was made and police said the others were being dealt with “appropriately.”

Meanwhile, officers also tackled parking issues on John William Street and Cross Church Street and issued tickets to vehicles illegally parked in taxi ranks, blocking them for taxi drivers.

One taxi driver was also reported to Kirklees taxi licensing for licence issues. Full premises licence checks were also conducted at the 11 bars visited, with no problems found.

The team were joined on the night by a Change, Grow, Live (CGL) drug outreach worker who offered those found in possession of drugs help and advice.

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Sgt Amanda Holroyd, of the Kirklees Town Centre Partnership, said: “Huddersfield nightlife has started to get busier as we draw further away from the festive season, so we were keen to conduct this operation to check our bars are providing a safe environment for those using them.

“The drugs dogs are highly trained and are absolute experts at sniffing out signs of drug use and, without the assistance of Casper, some of the substances would have gone undetected on Saturday.”

She added: “More operations of this type are in the pipeline and those carrying drugs in the town centre should be advised that if they do come across one of our drugs dogs any substances they are carrying will be detected.

“It should always be remembered that illegal drugs are produced by organised criminals and money paid for them goes straight into funding the type of criminality none of us want to see in our communities.”