POLICE seized a fist-sized lump of what they believe was cannabis resin in a raid on a house in London Road as part of their crack down on crime and lawlessness in the town.

This week Sgt Paul Oatway warned the operation was the start of police moves to honour their pledge for zero tolerance.

About a dozen officers, some of them specialist drugs officers from Devizes and Swindon, were involved in the raid on the cottage in London Road at 7.30pm on Friday. The team battered down the front door to make a surprise entry.

A man in his thirties was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug after officers found what they described as "a fist sized" lump of a substance which was suspected to be cannabis resin.

The man was released on police bail while the substance is analysed in Home Office laboratories. If their suspicions are confirmed police will ask the Crown Prosecution Service to charge the man with dealing in drugs as they say the quantity was too much for personal use.

On Monday Sgt Oatway, who leaves the town tomorrow after standing-in for several monthsduring a re-shuffle of senior officers, said: "We made a pledge to this town recently to be hard on crime, hard on drugs and not to tolerate disorder and we are now implementing that strategy."

He said the drugs raid on Friday was the result of an ongoing police operation following the receipt of information and also of police observations.

Sgt Oatway said: "As a result a thorough search of the premises four people were initially detained and we subsequently arrested one man for the suspected possession of a controlled drug."

The sergeant said it was possible that further similar raids would be taking place on premises in the town as part of the police bid to rid Marlborough of drugs as part of the recently announced crackdown on crime.

Sgt Oatway, who will be returning to Tidworth next week, said: "We fully understand the task ahead will be difficult but the people of this town must understand that cannabis resin and other controlled drugs are illegal. We will not tolerate their use or distribution and we are very much into intelligence-led policing.

"I hope this positive action by the Marlborough police will go a long way to further re-assure the town council and the people of Marlborough of the way in which we are going to ensure that Marlborough is a safe place to live."

Police have said they will need the help of the town in exercising their zero tolerance policy and would like information on any suspected crime to be reported confidentially to them at the Marlborough police station (01672 512311) or on the CrimeStoppers line 0800 555 111.

The new sergeant at Marlborough is Martyn Sweett, a local man who is married with two children who was previously based in Swindon..

Sgt Sweett, a former Bath rugby player, has been in the Wiltshire force for six years and was previously in the armed forces.

He said: "My philosophy is that we police community beats and develop links with the community and local residents but at the same time emphasising low tolerance to crime."