NEARLY 1,000 people in Stroud were checked with a new drug-testing device over one weekend as part of a police operation aimed at combating anti-social behaviour. The portable machine, known as an itemiser, which can detect the presence of cocaine, cannabis, heroin and ecstasy, was used in the Queen Victoria and The Lord John pubs, with the licensees giving their full support.

Swabs were taken from the hands of customers, which were then fed into the itemiser for analysis, and results were indicated within seconds.

Out of the 1,000 people that were tested, only 36 people were subsequently searched and only one adult male was arrested and charged for possession of a quantity of class C drugs. Nobody refused to be tested.

Operation Unify Two was Gloucestershire Constabulary’s contribution to the Home Office’s National Specials Weekend - an initiative designed to highlight the hard work of Special Constabulary officers in England and Wales.

In the Cotswolds and Stroud alone it involved 18 Special Constabulary officers working last Friday and Saturday nights in targeted patrols to address rowdy behaviour and conducting checks at pubs and clubs to identify underage drinkers and those committing drugs offences.

Assistant Divisional Officer Steve Lindsay, who led the operation, said: “The machine tied in with the force's efforts to tackle the use of illegal drugs in Stroud town centre and their role in incidents of violence and anti-social behaviour that occasionally occur on weekends.

“The results were very encouraging but it is essential we continue this work in the future to address the minority of people whose behaviour causes problems.

“The fact that we had no refusals and that the feedback was so consistently positive indicates to me that we have the support of the public on this.

“The entire operation as a whole was a great success, with nearly 400 hours of patrols carried out across the division and all our priorities for different communities monitored.”