EIGHT people were arrested and £50,000 of cocaine seized after a joint operation on the M25 last month.

Officers from Surrey Police worked with colleagues from Sussex, Hampshire, Thames Valley and the Metropolitan Police, stopping vehicles that activated number plate recognition cameras on the M25.

The technology checks vehicle number plates against a national database that identifies whether they are registered as lost or stolen, fully taxed and insured and whether they have been seen in suspicious circumstances or involved in a crime.

The operation was part of Shield – Surrey Police's initiative to protect residents and businesses from travelling criminals.

More than 200 vehicles were stopped during the six-hour blitz, with 14 vehicles seized and 15 fixed-penalty notices issued.

Eight people were arrested, including five people in connection with offences in the Surrey area.

For full story, see this week's Haslemere Herald.