SCORES of police officers raided the homes of suspected drug dealers in the Medway area today in Kent's biggest ever drugs operation (Christina Qvistgaard writes).

Operation Commando began on Monday morning with the first wave of arrests and continued early this morning. So far more than 20 people have been charged with drugs offences.

The operation is being run in co-ordination with a similar operation by the Metropolitan Police. The raids are the culmination of six months covert police work.

This morning a convoy of police vans, evidence gathering teams and dog handlers left Chatham Dockyard just after 7am. One team along with invited media headed for an address in Maidstone Road, Rochester.

Officers in stab proof vests stormed into the terraced house after smashing through the door with a battering ram.

Inside, the team found four people and a child, believed to be about four-years-old. Two men were arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "We have got cars parked in the street and we have even had people calling here asking for drugs."

All those arrested were taken to the cells at Chatham Police Station where officers were working overtime to deal with the influx of suspects.

* Det Supt Andy Gent told KM-fm that the operation was aimed at dealers rather than users...