A SERIES of high-profile drug and cash seizures is helping drive down crime in a North-East city, according to police.

Over recent weeks thousands of pounds worth of drugs have been taken off the streets of Newcastle - largely as a result of information being passed to Northumbria Police by members of the community.

In the latest seizure at the weekend, traffic officers stopped a car being driven by a 36-year-old man travelling on the central motorway.

Inside the car they found what is believed to be a kilo of cocaine. A subsequent search of his house revealed a further two kilos of amphetamine - in all the drugs are estimated to be worth around £50,000.

Shortly afterwards, in an unconnected incident, police stopped a man found to be in possession of 31 wraps of cocaine. A house search revealed a further kilo of the drug, while another 60 wraps were found in a safe in the house.

And acting on community intelligence officers executed a search warrant at a house in Hawksley, Westerhope, and arrested three people on suspicion of money laundering after more than £135,000 was found in a wardrobe. Further arrests in connection with this are expected soon.

The weekend's haul follows a number of large seizures by Crime Operations, part of the force's Crime Department, including the force's largest ever recovery of class A drugs - when heroin, cocaine, cannabis and amphetamine was found at a house in Cheshire.