FIVE people were arrested when riot police stormed a suspected drug den.

Police swooped on a flat in The Stonechurch, Vicarage Street, Daubhill, at around 10.20am yesterday.

A team of officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Tactical Aid Unit smashed through the door of the flat.

Officers were reacting to intelligence gathered by the Deane and Willows Neighbourhood Police Team which indicated that the flat was being used to store stolen goods.

Police searched the flat and found two wraps of what is believed to be heroin on the coffee table.

They also found what is thought to be a stolen debit card.

A 31-year-old man, a 16-year-old boy and a 24-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of possessing heroin and stolen goods.

A short time later while police were still searching the flat, a 25-year-old man, followed by another man, aged 35, turned up at the premises and were arrested by police on suspicion of possessing stolen goods.

Police believe the 35-year-old may have been involved with the theft of a CCTV camera system from a store in Deane.

Following the raid, Police Community Support Officer Mark Harrison delivered leaflets to the local community explaining why the raid was carried out.

Sgt Rob Knight, who led the operation, said: “I would like to reassure the community that police are taking action to combat crime in the area. Intelligence for this warrant was gathered through the work of the Deane and Willows Neighbourhood Team.

“We are targeting known offenders and acting upon information which is brought to us and this will hopefully lead to a reduction in crime across the neighbourhood.”

The Stonechurch apartment building is a converted church owned by Contour Housing.

Anyone with any information about crime in the area can call the neighbourhood team on 0161 856 5619 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 55 111.