Last updated 11:28, Saturday, 25 October 2008

There can be no doubt that Cumbria is a safer place today, following the sentencing of eight members of a drug gang in Cumbria.

The gang, masterminded by Workington man John Roe, planned to smuggle large quantities of cannabis and cocaine into the county.

But their master plan wasn’t thwarted by chance: instead it involved one of the most ambitious investigations ever carried out by the county’s police.

A crack squad of detectives from the serious and organised crime unit spent 10 months painstakingly gathering evidence in order to secure criminal proceedings.

The task they set themselves was huge, and the end result was the seizure of £66,000 worth of drugs, the recovery of substances worth £200,000 and an invaluable insight into Cumbria’s drug underworld.

Yesterday, lengthy jail sentences were handed out – a result which should be appreciated by everyone.

The drugs world is not only a problem for those closely affected. It also brings with it associated crimes such as burglary, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, which blight local communities.

Thanks to the detectives’ sterling work, the people of Cumbria have been spared these repercussions, in this case at least.

Of course the battle against the illegal drugs trade goes on, but results such as this show Cumbria Police are slowly winning the war.