RESIDENTS of Amesbury and Tidworth have been raising concerns about drug dealing and drug use in their towns.

As a result, police officers patrolling these areas are urging the public to be their 'eyes and ears', so incidents get reported and appropriate action can be taken.

Police are calling for the community to help report drug activity which can "often be associated with anti-social behaviour and violent crime" and in turn "impact quality of life".

Inspector Liz Coles said Wiltshire Police is "committed to tackling illegal drug supply" but needs assistance from the public as "[the force] cannot do it alone".

She added: "We cannot be everywhere all the time so please help us by reporting your concerns. Although it may not seem like any action has been taken, there are a lot of enquiries to conduct behind the scenes before any obvious action can be taken in some cases.

"Our officers are regularly patrolling areas of concern and in recent weeks we have conducted a number of drugs warrants in the town.

“We know that people have concerns about drug use in Amesbury and we appreciate that some people may not always feel confident in reporting these concerns to the police. There are a number of ways to report issues and this includes anonymous reporting on our website."

PCSO Dan Catterick added: “While out patrolling, a number of people have approached me with concerns about drug dealing but many of them have said they didn’t want to bother the police by reporting the issue, or they have said they didn’t think it was important enough to report to us.

"I’d like to reassure residents that we want to hear from you if you suspect drug activity in your neighbourhood. We know that drugs can have a really negative impact on a community – drugs can often be associated with anti-social behaviour and violent crime and in turn, can impact on a residents quality of life.

“Even if you think the information you have may be very minor, it is always worth reporting as it could be the missing piece in a bigger jigsaw which could help us disrupt a major chain of drug supply or it may help us identify a vulnerable person who may be being exploited.”

To report drug dealing in your local community or suspicious behaviour, call Wiltshire Police on 101 or visit wiltshire.police.uk

Signs of drug dealing in your neighbourhood include:

• An unusual number of people visiting at all hours

• Drugs paraphernalia left outside

• Tenants or home owners showing an unusually lavish lifestyle.

Signs that a cannabis factory may be in operation in your neighbourhood include:

• Lights left on all day and night

• Curtains constantly drawn or windows blacked out

• Strong pungent smell and high humidity in the property

• Different people, coming and going at strange times

• Visits by people for short periods

• Venting protruding from the roof and the constant sound of cooling fans.