Drug dealers are being warned to steer clear of Eastbourne or face swift justice.

Officers leading the fight against Class A drugs in the resort say they are determined to keep the streets clean.

The vow comes after a last week's wave of raids - the biggest ever drugs operation in Eastbourne - which saw 250 officers from across Sussex, including armed police and dog handlers, arrest 65 people as the force helicopter hovered above.

Nine people have since been charged with supplying class A drugs and one with possessing cannabis.

Operation Shipwreck concentrated on the Meads and Devonshire areas but also saw action in South London, the source of much of the town's drug supply.

The raids came after 19 dealers arrested in May last year were jailed for a total of 65 years and was designed to target peddlers hoping to fill the gap left in the lucrative drugs market.

In the six months after last year's crackdown, crime fell by 3.7 per cent - revealing the link between drugs and crime which nationally costs the police service half a billion pounds a year - and officers hope for a similar reduction this time.

Police chiefs today called on communities to help keep Eastbourne drug-free while emphasising that the town was still safe to live and visit.

Superintendent Ken Probert, in overall command of Operation Shipwreck, said: "We're determined to wipe Eastbourne's streets clean of alleged dealers and keep it that way.

"If we as a community can keep the pressure on, new dealers will think twice before they re-establish these networks."

Chief Inspector Martin Stevens, Eastbourne borough commander, said: "We made a positive impact, both in terms of reassuring the community and keeping a tight grip on criminals.

"There are proven links between drugs and crimes such as burglary, vehicle crime and acts of violence.

"We're determined to crack down on the root cause of what we believe is the scourge in the community."

Police chiefs said they are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Nigel Knight, head of the CPS's criminal justice unit at Eastbourne, said: "By providing early advice to the police and by working closely with them as the case files are prepared, more cases can be successfully prosecuted."