POLICE found suspected crack cocaine in a shoe when they raided on homes in Oxford's Blackbird Leys estate today.

More than 20 officers went into homes in Balfour Road and Monks Close at 7.45am.

It takes the total number of raids in Blackbird Leys to 46 since February, as police attempt to close the net on the estate’s drug dealers and users.

Sgt Rob Axe said: “We found evidence of drug dealing, scales, mobile phones and lots of used wraps which suggests drug dealing is taking place on the premises.”

Officers wearing gloves spent an hour combing the Balfour Road property for evidence.

No drugs or drug paraphernalia were discovered at the Monks Close address and no arrests were made.

Sgt Axe said tests were likely to show the white substance in the shoe would be crack cocaine, worth probably no more than a couple of hundred pounds.

He said: “It’s not a vast amount, but we could have come yesterday and found a lot more, we could have come tomorrow and found a lot less.”

One 38-year-old, from Moorbank, who witnessed the raid, said: “They're doing the right thing, I think it's great what they're doing.

“It's surprising to know this sort of thing might be going on, but the police are doing a great job.”

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and bailed until November 8.

Anyone with information about drug dealing or drug taking can call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.