Drug dealing in the Sewell ward of Norwich has become a priority for local police as the community has rallied alongside them to clear up the area.

A meeting of residents at the Silver Road Community Centre on Friday evening heard that 61pc of a public vote asked police to make drug dealing in the area a priority for the next three months after 106 people wrote in.

The meeting of Sewell Community Group and Friends were given an update on policing in the area from PC James Marrison, who said a woman living on Bull Close Road who had been causing anti-social behaviour was being evicted.

Residents are working alongside the police to tackle drug dealers, and are plastering posters at problem hot spots to deter them.

A previous meeting heard dealing is a problem around Silver Street, Steward Street, Brewers Court, Mousehold Avenue, Heathgate, Stacy Road, Shipstone Road, Denmark Road, Magdalen Road, Denmark Opening and Angel Road as well as Sewell Park and Waterloo Park.

PC Marrison said in a written update: 'We have focused patrols on Sandy Park and garages on Gertrude Road. Some of the residents said they have several reports from Silver Street. I have gone back through calls from the area and arranged to meet with the callers to discuss the issues.'

On June 11 officers executed a drugs warrant on Beaconsfield Road and uncovered cannabis, weapons and a firearm, which PC Marrison said was a 'positive result'.

Chair of the meeting Julie Brociek-Coulton said efforts to get alleyways in the area gated could be a lengthy and expensive process but the area was 'rife with drugs' so they would accomplish it 'by hook or by crook'.

'Asking people to call 101 is working,' she added. 'We are the police priority for the next three months which is brilliant, and that just shows everyone is working on this and wants it to stop.'

As part of Operation Cayman, last month 100 arrests were made with 43 drug seizures. Over the last 19 months, as part of Operation Gravity, almost 650 suspected drug dealers have been arrested and thousands of pounds of drugs and cash seized.

Anyone with information about drug dealing in their area should call Norfolk Police on 101.

The next meeting of Sewell Community Group and Friends will be held at the Silver Road Community Centre at 7.30pm on August 17.