Five people were arrested and a stash of suspected hard drugs seized in police raids on an Oxford estate last night.

Five homes were raided in Moorbank, Knights Road, Barns Road, Redwood Close and Readmase, in Blackbird Leys, after tip-offs by members of the public at 6pm yesterday (November 8).

A sixth house in Poulton Place, Greater Leys, was searched later in the evening.

Class A drugs -- believed to be heroin and crack cocaine -- were taken away by police from one home to be examined and five people were arrested on suspicion of drugs and firearms offences, spokesman Vicky Evans said. Cannabis plants and cannabis were also seized.

The raids by 35 officers, including Blackbird Leys beat police, were welcomed by community leaders today.

Pat Stannard, chairman of the Leys Residents Association, said: "This has achieved something. The stop and search methods may annoy people, but drugs houses are the worst problem and they are the issue we get the most complaints about." The Independent Working Class Association (IWCA) held an anti-drugs patrol during the summer to urge more police action on the estate.

Blackbird Leys city councillor Lee Cole said: "It's a start. There's still a long way to go but at least it shows the police are doing something.

"This kind of thing is all right as long as the people aren't returning to these houses 30 minutes later and allowed to carry on, which has happened before."

Brian Lester, chairman of Blackbird Leys Parish Council, said: "We welcome any positive steps against illegal drugs on the estate."

Police have introduced a Neighbourhood Action Team to Blackbird Leys, made up of police, residents, civic leaders and council officers, to encourage more people to pass information to police.

Partnership member Insp Andy Talbot said: "The community has been excellent in providing our neighbourhood officers with very valuable intelligence in relation to drug activity on the estate. "This joined-up working with the community, police and partners, is as a result of neighbourhood policing, which has been working well on the estate."

One man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and a man and a woman are in custody on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis.

A third man, aged 20, has been charged with possession of cannabis. A teenager was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, but released on police bail.