14 held in police raids

Fourteen people have been arrested as part of a "massive" police operation targeting those suspected of involvement in serious and organised crime.

Warwickshire Police said more than 300 officers and members of force staff were involved in Operation Laser, which saw warrants executed at a number of properties in Rugby and the West Midlands at about 6am today.

A spokesman said the raids, following 12 months of planning, were part of the biggest operation ever undertaken to tackle serious and organised crime in Warwickshire.

The spokesman said: "Officers from Warwickshire Police, supported by officers from West Mercia Police, executed warrants at a number of addresses, the majority of them in Rugby, with additional warrants being executed in Coventry and Birmingham.

"The early morning raids give a clear message to those involved in organised crime and the supply of drugs that Warwickshire Police is making the county a hostile place for criminals to operate in."

PA