Further news about the arrests of the drug dealers in Kensington

This was the original message from Sgt Simon Joyce that went out to partners and agents on Thursday

This morning (Thursday, April 30) Merseyside Police arrested 24 people across north Liverpool as part of its total war on drugs.

Around 200 officers including the Kensington Neighbourhood Police Team executed search warrants in the culmination of a 12-month investigation into the supply of Class A drugs.

The operation was launched in response to information received from the community and targeted drug dealing on the streets. It is linked to a similar operation in January when 23 people were arrested in south Liverpool on suspicion of drug offences, 18 of whom were subsequently charged.

Officers arrested 21 people aged 17 - 60 years from the Kensington and Tuebrook areas. Several seizures of Class A, B & C drugs have been made, along with quantities of cash.

Local representatives from Kensington Regeneration, Community 7 Housing, Venture Housing and local Councillors attended the Police briefing and witnessed some of the operation from Police Headquarters.

The Kensington New Deal Police Team have been listening to the residents concerns about drug dealing and want you to know that any information received about drug dealing has been used as intelligence for this operation. We expect that many of the individuals arrested will be receiving custodial sentences and we shall keep you informed of the outcome.

We will work with our partners to reduce drug dealing and educate people as to the effects it has on the community and we shall support Housing Agencies to evict those convicted of drug offences.

Merseyside Police will continue to enforce the law to the fullest extent and urge anyone with any information about the supply of illegal drugs to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

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I can now confirm, having kept my ear to the ground, that 14 of the 21 who were apprehended on Thursday have now been charged. I still need to learn about the other 14 - a mixture of those we did not find on Thursday when we went out looking for them, and those that were arrested but had not been charged as Saturday morning.

Keep watching this space - but isn't that great, 14 alleged dealers charged already!