A dog trained to sniff out illegal substances has been used in Dover and Deal during the past few weeks in a bid to clamp down on the supply and sale of drugs in the area.

Working in conjunction with plain-clothed police officers, the dog and his handler helped with the arrest of 10 people who were dealt with for possession of drugs.

The patrols were carried out at Dover Priory railway station and in Deal town centre. Drug dealers and shoplifters frequently use trains to travel between the two towns.

It's all part of the latest crackdown on criminals in Dover, Deal and Sandwich, and the surrounding villages, by police who have a series of operations planned for the coming months.

Chief Inspector Darren Mullins, who has just completed his first year as district commander, is appealing to people to help reduce crime still further by acting as the “ears and eyes” of the police.

“We can’t be everywhere,” he said. “We rely on the public to tell us what is going on. Even the smallest piece of information can be useful. It can help us build a bigger picture, which can enable us to catch criminals.”

Mr Mullins has told the Mercury that he is pleased with the reduction in crime during the past 12 months, with 583 fewer victims of crime in the district compared with the previous year.

“Crime is down by 9.4% in the district, which means Dover is below the national average for the number of crimes per 1,000 residents, and the lowest in Kent," he said.

“There was an increase of 73 in the number of burglaries – up from 290 the previous year – but we still have the lowest level for burglaries in the whole of Kent.”

See this week's Dover Mercury and East Kent Mercury for the full story.