Police have hauled scores of drug dealers off the streets in the past year.

And the number of people dealt with by police for drug-related crime in Brighton and Hove has increased tenfold in the past five years.

Figures obtained by The Argus through the Freedom of Information Act reveal there were only 128 recorded offences across the city in the year 2000-01 but in 2005-06 the figure was 1,293 for drug dealing and possession.

In the past two years, Brighton police have arrested 293 drug dealers and this year alone they have seized 12kg of class A drugs, 6.5kg of class B drugs and 30kg of cannabis.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Simon Burgess said the figures indicated good teamwork between the police, council and drug agencies, adding "I'm just pleased there has been a crackdown, particularly on the dealing side, which can cause a real menace in our local communities.

"I applaud the police for their hard work, which I think is starting to make a difference. Clearly the drug issue in our city is much higher than any of us would feel comfortable about but we have started to lose the reputation as a soft touch for dealers."

In Lewes district, where the drugs problem is concentrated along the coast in towns such as Seaford and Newhaven, there were 36 dealing charges last year, compared with 23 in 2000-01.

Councillor Liz Lee, who chairs the Lewes district Crime Reduction Partnership, said: "Drugs are always a big focus but antisocial behaviour and acquisitive crime, which are also linked to drug use, have been a high priority and the police are getting better at detection."

Every case taken to court has led to a conviction for Brighton police, who are mostly targeting heroin and crack cocaine dealers.

Superintendent Graham Bartlett from Brighton police has run Operation Reduction along with the city's Drug and Alcohol Action Team and Crime Reduction Initiative since November 2005.

He said: "This is all proactive policing, using covert operations alongside overt work by our community support officers to disrupt hotspots."

But the chief executive of national charity Drugscope, Martin Barnes, said despite the police activity, drug supply was not being hit.

He said: "The increases in drug crime are significant but overall evidence shows drug use has been relatively stable since 2000 apart from cocaine use, which has increased since the late Nineties.

"The Government drugs strategy focuses on class A drugs but year on year we are still seeing a decline in the street price of these drugs so there doesn't seem to be a problem with availability of drugs.

"But it's one of those things. If you take your foot off the pedal, the situation gets worse."

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "The increases in recorded crimes wholly reflect the amount of police activity in this area rather than any increase in the use of illicit drugs.

"Most cannabis possession will be dealt with by way of confiscation and a formal street warning. More serious or repeat offences will be dealt with via caution or criminal charge."

Convictions for having class A drugs including cocaine and heroin can lead to maximum sentences of seven years in prison and a fine and, for dealing, life imprisonment with a fine.

For class B drugs the penalty for possesion is up to five years in prison and a fine and, for dealing, up to 14 years and a fine.

Cannabis possession can lead to two years in prison and a fine, while dealing it can lead to up to 14 years in prison and a fine.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Recorded drug crime statistics are heavily influenced by local policing priorities in response to local drug problems and may reflect changes in the policing of drug crime rather than real changes in its incidence."

  • Brighton drug crime figures:

  • 2000-01 128 (of which dealing was 128)
    2001-02 126 (126)
    2002-03 165 (165)
    2004-05 823 (229)
    2005-06 1293 (270)