A rise in incomers from the capital into Kent estates has led to fresh challenges for Kent's drugs squads.

That is the claim of Acting Inspector Tom Mepstead, after police raided a property on Sheppey this morning.

He said the local population on the island had changed over the last couple of years.

He added - after a team of eight officers burst into a property on the island this morning: "We know that London authorities are buying housing stock in the area and a lot of their residents are moving down here.

"With that comes new faces and new challenges, and we are dealing with those head on, and we're getting to know who's who."

He spoke of the rise in so-called cuckooing, where gang members from the capital move into other areas and use the premises of local drug users.

Mr Mepstead was speaking as part of a week-long operation to crackdown on drug crimes and anti-social behaviour in the area.

In the raid this morning a small quantity of cannabis was seized.

Video: Police carry out raid in crackdown on drugs on Sheppey

Two men from London were arrested on Monday after officers spotted them driving around the town looking suspicious.

The men were found to be in possession of Class A drugs along with a large sum of money.

Officers have also arrested a man and a woman following the discovery of cannabis growing in a property in Leysdown.

Operation Fuji has seen more officers on the streets this week, with drug warrants and police dogs also searching the area.

Acting Inspector Tom Mepstead, continued: "Ultimately drug dealing and drug use have a rippling affect throughout the community. Obviously people that live around drug dealers have a very disruptive lifestyle.

"It also increases the levels of acquisitive crimes and other crime types as well so we're keen to tackle it.

"Anything that's fed through to us we will take seriously and we will take action."

He was speaking after it was revealed last year that police are targeting London gangs operating in the homes of vulnerable people across Thanet and Canterbury.