Three people were arrested and 25 were stopped during a drugs search dog operation in Manor Park last week.

Officers from Newham wore plain clothes and took to the street outside Manor Park railway station last Thursday following concerns raised by local residents about drug use in the area.

Altogether, 25 people were stopped with three arrests - two for having a knife and one for being in possession of cannabis.

Five people were also issued with penalty notices for being in possession of cannabis.

Officer Thomas O’Leary, from the Manor Park safer neighbourhood team, said the force was already planning the next drugs dog operation because it “was that successful” and that it should act as a clear message to those “who choose to use illegal drugs and carry knives that we will stop them and they will be brought to justice”.

He added: “These type of operations should give the local community confidence that we are acting on the information they give us.

“Local residents raised their concerns about the use of illegal drugs in the local area and we acted on it immediately.

“We will continue to act on any information given to us by our local communities and tackle any issues that they have in their community.”

Mr O’Leary added that the Safer Neighbourhood Team had been able to carry out numerous drug warrants in the last few weeks.

He said: “It is very important to tackle drug related crime as the use of drugs can lead to other offences. Some drugs users commit crimes such as shoplifting, theft from motor vehicles and burglary in order to steal items to sell so that they have money to buy drugs.

“These are obviously serious offences that have an impact of members of the community and that is why we want to tackle drug related issues such as the use and sale of illegal drugs.”