POLICE have charged six men with drug offences following a series of high-profile early-morning raids last Tuesday.

The men, who all appeared before Blackburn magistrates on Thursday, were among 16 people arrested across East Lancashire, Lancaster and Merseyside.

All have been charged with conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine between August 2006 and February 2007.

The defendants from East Lancashire are John Varey, 27, of Whinney Hill caravan park, Accrington, Elias Smith, 28, of Whinney Hill caravan park, Edward Smith, 21, of West Crescent, Accrington, Daniel Cregg, 29, of Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwistle, Andrew Dixon, 23, of Roe Greave Road, Oswaldtwistle, and Lee Finglas, 24, of Sharples Street, Accrington.

A team of more than 200 police officers swooped on a number of addresses at 5.30am in a bid to smash a drugs ring which also involved an English man who was arrested in Belgium.

Officers had been working for several months to organise the raids, collecting intelligence from the local community.

A substantial amount of cash and a number of firearms were seized during the raids and detectives are now assessing the weapons to see if they are real or replicas.

The defendants will all appear at Preston Crown Court on 6 June.