A 16-YEAR-OLD boy was arrested during an anti-drugs operation targeting London gangs.

The youth was detained on suspicion of dealing class A drugs after police carried out two simultaneous raids in St Helen's Road and Preston Road, in Westcliff, on Tuesday morning.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Tower Hamlets gang unit joined Southend’s anti-gang and drugs team Operation Raptor for the raids.

They searched both properties and seized what is believed to be a class A drug- after 45 wraps of suspected heroin were thrown out of a window.

Two other people were reported to court for possession of a class B drug while the 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply and released on bail until May.

Sgt Ben Woollard, from Operation Raptor, said the unit has been working with London colleagues to tackle the problem.

He said: "A parcel of drugs thrown out of the window were recovered. It was 45 wraps of heroin that were bundled together.

"Also present at the warrant was the Tower Hamlets gang unit.

"There was intelligence that the gang had come from that area of London and we did some joint work with that team to share intelligence and react to each other's problems."

A resident of Preston Road, who asked not to be named, said: "This is a very quiet area but there is a house that does have a lot of young people living in it.

"Sometimes they are older, sometimes they are younger. I've never seen any trouble there before."

Another resident told how she woke to find a police van blocking her drive.

She said: "I had to ask them to move because needed to do the school run. There was a car parked across the road as well.

"I haven't lived here very long, it's nice but I just keep myself to myself really."

Sgt Ashley Holland, of the South Operation Raptor Team, added: "If you have information about drug-related crime in your community pleased contact us on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. We always act on the information we receive."