A DRUGS mountain weighing almost a quarter of a tonne has been taken off Oxfordshire's streets to be destroyed.

Police have incinerated hundreds of cannabis plants, crack cocaine, steroids and needles following raids across the county.

Of the total 223kg of drugs seized or confiscated, about 100kg has been found on the streets in Oxford over the past eight months.

Elsewhere, 4kg of drugs was seized in Kidlington, 30kg was taken by police in Abingdon and 50kg confiscated in Banbury during the same period.

Chief Supt David McWhirter, Oxfordshire basic command unit commander, said: "Nearly a quarter of a tonne of substances from the most harmful Class-A drugs, such as crack cocaine and heroin, right through to steroids and prescription drugs have been seized by my officers in operations and searches in the past eight months."

The drugs mountain was taken to be incinerated at a secret location on Monday last week.

Police have been carrying out high-profile raids to disrupt drug dealers across Oxford.

Last month, about 300 ecstasy tablets, three 9oz cannabis bars and crack cocaine were confiscated from a house in Stowood Close in Headington.

In April, more than 2,000 cannabis plants were discovered growing in Fairacres Road and Warwick Street in Oxford.

Police also seized £3,500 worth of cannabis in a raid in Bernwood Close, Oxford, and discovered 330 wraps of cocaine and heroin in a house in Marston Road in March.

Meanwhile, a hoard of more than 100 firearms is in the hands of Oxfordshire police.

The weapons range from pump-action shotguns to replica firearms and have been stockpiled since November 2005.

They will be taken away and crushed.

All of the weapons have been confiscated or handed into the police and are not being used as evidence for any gun crime cases.

More than 1,800 blades will be melted down after they were handed in to Oxfordshire police stations during the recent knife amnesty.

A total of 1,838 knives, from penknives to Samurai swords, were handed in to be destroyed during the five-week weapons' amnesty, which ended last Friday.

Wantage Police Station had the highest number of knives handed in 758 but this included 724 brand new penknives still in their boxes.

Mystery surrounds the dumping of the penknives.

One man took 18 weapons to Thame Police Station and in Bicester a machete, a dagger, several flick knives and a sword were among the 64 weapons that were handed in.