Traces of cocaine have been found at a members' club after police and council officers investigated a complaint about alleged drug use on the premises.

Swabs were taken during a visit at the venue in the Chichester Memorial Hall in Sandgate and the results came back showing that the class A drug was present on surfaces in the club.

The results of the test, carried out last month, have been provided to management at the club and Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) says it is working with the licensee and Kent Police to ensure drug use does not take place.

Members who are caught taking drugs at the club will be banned for life, their membership revoked, and their identity shared with the local pubwatch scheme.

An FHDC spokesman said: "Licensing officers visited Sandgate Members Club on February 11 as part of regular monitoring activities of licensed premises with the police.

"Swabbing was undertaken during the visit by police in response to a complaint FHDC had received alleging the use of drugs at the premises. The police fed back the outcome of the results to the club."

The council has confirmed that - as part of what it calls "a proactive approach to tackling issues related to drugs" - swabbing is currently being undertaken by the police in a number of licensed premises across the district.

A police spokesman said: "Kent Police officers regularly attend licenced premises, along with representatives of the local authorities, to ensure licencing conditions are being upheld and that businesses are being operated in a way which discourages any illegal activity.

"After traces of cocaine were detected on surfaces during a visit to a premises in Sandgate, Kent Police's local licencing officer is working with the licensee and Folkestone and Hythe District Council to prevent any drug use in the venue in future.

"The trade and use of class A drugs is all too often linked to other forms of crime and anti-social behaviour. The force is committed to tackling those who attempt to sell such substances in the county."

A spokesman for the club told KentOnline it is taking a firm line on drugs.

"Our drugs policy is that if anybody is found using drugs on the premises they will, as before, be expelled from the club for life," they said. "We are being as firm as we can possibly be. It is not tolerated in our club and will not be tolerated."