A man from Four Marks was arrested last Monday evening on suspicion of supplying cannabis.

Police who searched the 21-year-old’s home seized drugs and several knives.

He was interviewed and released under investigation while further enquiries are carried out and a file is prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service.

Alton Rural beat policeman PC Harry Millard made the arrest with support from the East Hampshire priority crime team.

It came after a week in which the Alton neighbourhood policing team patrolled drugs hotspots while also investigating intelligence and pursuing leads relating to drugs issues.

PC Millard said: “We know some people may feel that it is ‘just a bit of weed’, but drug supply is often linked to hidden harm and can go hand in hand with anti-social behaviour and the carrying of knives.

“We remain committed to acting on intelligence from the local community and tackling local offending. If you have concerns about suspicious behaviour or suspected drug activity in your area, please get in touch with us directly. If you witness a crime in progress or there is an emergency, please call 999.”

Recorded crime in East Hampshire in April, May and June was down 8.6 per cent on the same period last year.

Chief inspector Matt Moss, who chaired the police’s latest East Hampshire tactical planning meeting, said disrupting the supply of drugs in Alton had recently taken prominence in the district.

He added: “The drugs supply issue is new this month. We have been working on this in the background, but we have added it as a priority this month to ensure that the hard work we are doing in this area is reflected in our recorded priorities.”

Anyone with information can email PC Millard at [email protected], or Alton beat policeman PC Aaron Kerby at [email protected]