Police using a specially-trained dog arrested 4 people during a crackdown on drugs in pubs in Keynsham, with the drug dogs on their way to Bath.
They also detected the use of cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis by another five people during the evening.
The operation last Friday was staged following information from members of the public that drugs are being used in pubs in the town.
Earlier this summer neighbourhood officers, working with pub landlords, put up posters warning that police action was likely.
On Friday they visited, unannounced, a number of pubs with the British Transport Police drugs dog, Diesel, who identified nine people who may have been in contact with controlled drugs and enabled officers to carry out a search.
Keynsham Beat manager PC Lisa Hawtin said: “This was a very positive operation that sends out a strong message that we will not tolerate drugs use in pubs.
“We are grateful to the pub landlords for their co-operation and we will be giving them more advice on how to detect and prevent drug use on their premises. We will definitely be taking Diesel the dog for another walk very soon.”
At a meeting with Avon and Somerset Police yesterday, they said the drug dogs had been successful in pubs around Bath and would be used more frequently in the coming months.
