POLICE have seized over £180,000 worth of drugs in North Ayrshire since January.

Acting on information provided by local communities, officers have searched 13 addresses and arrested 30 people for alleged offences relating to drugs supply or production.

The value of alleged Class A drugs seized were £115,588, Class B £68,440 and Class C £818.00.

Chief Inspector Brian Shaw, Area Commander in North Ayrshire, said: "Due to the nature of our activities it is not always possible to publicise details of ongoing operations, we are now however in a position to make people aware of recent drug seizures and to acknowledge the contribution local people have made by passing on information regarding drug activity to local officers or via Crimestoppers. This information is vital in removing drugs from our communities."

Police say they are committed to keeping people safe and to working with communities in doing so.

In seizing such sizeable quantities of drugs, police believe that this will impact on the lifestyles of those involved and who would potentially reinvest the money in more illicit material or illegal activity.

Chief Inspector Shaw added: "We listen to our local communities and they have told us drugs is a concern so we will work on tackling this ongoing issue. I would encourage anyone with information on drug dealing and drug misuse to contact my officers as every piece of information is valuable to us."

Anyone with information on crime in local communities is encouraged to contact Police Scotland by calling 101 or to contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity is guaranteed.