In the operation in Wellingborough town centre on Friday night four people were arrested for possession of drugs.

Four wraps of cocaine, an ecstasy tablet and a small quantity of cannabis were recovered by officers.

On the night police used a new knife arch, which can be used to detect knives, in the entrance to The Gloucester pub in Church Street.

Landlord of the pub Ali McLeod offered to take part in the knife arch trial and no knives or other weapons were found.

Sgt Tom Griffin, who helped co-ordinate the operation, said the night had been successful.

He said: "Friday night was a resounding success. We are happy that some positive action has been taken.

"We conducted 15 stop searches as a result of the sniffer dog's indications.

"We also had comments like 'this is nice to see', so I think the community were reassured by the police presence."

Police continued the operation on Saturday night, conducting a further 15 stop searches but no more drugs were recovered and no arrests were made.

Inspector Pete Chisholm, of Wellingborough Police, said: "The Gloucester is not a problem pub but the landlord Ali has given us the chance to demonstrate the equipment we now have at our disposal and how effective it can be."