Twenty people were searched in Maidstone on Friday night (June 7) as part of an operation to tackle drug possession in the town centre.

With the help of a sniffer dog, neighbourhood officers and special constables patrolled the town and searched 20 people people after the dog indicated they could have drugs on them.

They were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A 23-year-old man from Maidstone was arrested in the Market Buildings on suspicion of possessing a class A drug.

A search of his house uncovered a quantity of cash, believed to be around £9,000, which was seized under the same act.

Another man was issued with a warning for possession cannabis, the first time he had been caught with the drug.

Sergeant Andy Miller from the neighbourhood policing team in Maidstone said: “We regularly run this type of operation to not only deter people from possessing drugs in public, but also to catch people who do come into Maidstone in possession of illegal substances.

“A number of people, although not in possession of drugs, admitted that they had smoked cannabis earlier in the day.

“We will continue to run these operations, in partnership with our dog unit and the Special Constabulary, to remove drugs from the streets and keep Maidstone a safe place to socialise.”