SUSPECTED drug dealers were given a rude awakening today when police carried out raids in Huddersfield.

Four houses in Dalton were raided simultaneously and, so far, four arrests have been made.

Police also raided houses in Meltham and Fartown.

A substantial quantity of what is believed to be a Class A drug was recovered from one address in Dalton. A man in his 20s was arrested in connection with the find.

At another address, a 19-year-old man from Dalton was arrested for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

A large stash of CS gas, which is prohibited under the Firearms Act, was recovered from one house.

More than 30 officers from the Kirklees District Drugs Team, CID and the Huddersfield Police Target Team swooped on addresses in Thorpe Pyn Croft, Thorpe Lane and Cow Heys, all in Dalton.

Police used battering rams to smash into the houses shortly after 8.30am.

Drugs dogs were used alongside trained police officers to search each property.

A number of people were in each house when they were raided, including a family with young children at one of the houses in Thorpe Pyn Croft.

The residents remained inside while the police conducted the search, but one man in his 20s pleaded his innocence to officers outside from an upstairs bedroom window.

The raids follow intelligence gathered from the public as part of the Dob In a Dealer campaign.

The campaign urges members of the public who want to get drugs off their neighbourhood's streets to tell the police about any suspected drugs dealers confidentially by calling Crimestoppers.

Since the Kirklees- wide drugs team was launched in June last year to respond to the information gathered through Dob In a Dealer calls its members have made more than 240 arrests.

In that time, £600,000 worth of drugs have been taken off the streets of Kirklees.

Also, £500,000 worth of goods and cash has been seized.

The head of the Kirklees District Drugs Team, Det Insp John Gilbody, hailed the raids a success.

He added that tip-offs from the public were getting drugs off the streets and dealers behind bars.

"Today's raids have been carried out after information given to the police through the Dob In a Dealer hotline," he said.

"The whole campaign is working excellently and is making a huge impact in getting drugs off the streets.

"There are drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Huddersfield.

"But with the help of the public and by carrying out raids like the ones today we will beat the dealers," added Det Insp Gilbody.

"Often the raids uncover more information and intelligence and lead us to other people involved in the drugs trade.

"Dob In a Dealer works by allowing people to let us know about drug dealers without leaving any information about themselves," said Det Insp Gilbody.

To give information, call the Dob in a Dealer hotline by ringing Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.