An undercover police operation has shown huge levels of drug use among pub-goers and clubbers.

At one venue in East Sussex, up to ten per cent of customers were found to have come into contact with cocaine, other class A drugs or cannabis.

Plain clothes and uniformed officers were deployed over the weekend to test 650 revellers at pubs and clubs in Bexhill, Rye and Hastings where a new testing device was used to identify customers who had recently handled drugs.

At Fluid, in Robertson Street, Hastings, 21 of 200 visitors tested on Friday night showed up positive for handling cocaine.

Hastings District Commander Chief Insp Trevor Bowles said: "What this operation has demonstrated is that some people who are using licensed premises are prepared to use a range of drugs, including those which are the most dangerous. I will lead the fight against the use of these substances."

Drinkers at the Havelock pub, also in Hastings, the Devonshire Arms in Bexhill and Club Horizon in Rye were also targeted after the venues agreed to take part in the operation.

Pub and club owners made it a condition of entry that everyone coming through the door would have their hands swabbed.

The swabs were then tested by a high-tech £40,000 Ion Track detection device borrowed from Kent Police.

Within seconds, the specialist operators could tell if someone had come into contact with illegal substances. Those thought to be avoiding being scanned, refusing to be scanned or providing a positive reading were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Five people were arrested for possession of cocaine, one for intent to supply high-grade ecstasy and three for possession of cannabis.

Rother District Commander Chief Insp Rob Carden said: "This is an excellent example of neighbourhood policing teams being creative and innovative in order to make our local licensed premises safer.

"I am delighted that Rother is the first district in Sussex to have used the Ion Track drug testing equipment."

Steve Goodfellow, vice-chairman of Hastings Barwatch and landlord of the Havelock, said: "People should be able to come out for an evening and have a drink in a pub without worrying about drugs.

"I want them wiped out of this town completely. There seems to have been a very large increase in cocaine use recently and I don't want coke users in my pub."

Police are hoping to repeat the operation over Christmas and are considering buying a testing device for permanent use by the Sussex Force.