We sent our reporter Graham Satchell to follow the operation, from start to finish.

click here to watch Graham Satchell's report in full

There's nothing unique or special about Peterborough. Like most other cities in Britain today, it has a problem with drugs - in recent years crack cocaine and heroin.

Joe - which isn't his real name - is just one among many. He says: "My life before I became a heroin addict was quite stable. I was in a relationship - I've got a daughter - I was working.

"Heroin just wiped all of that out."

The number of people taking heroin in Peterborough has doubled every year for the last five years. and the police have had enough.

"A year ago if you'd have walked through Peterborough - you would have seen agressive begging - if you'd gone to certain areas you would have seen prostitution and you may have potentially seen people suffering the effects of drugs or alcohol, " says Detective Inspector Jeff Hill of Cambridgeshire police.

"Just arresting people and locking them up in prison isn't going to help. It looks good on paper but it won't look very good on the streets of Peterborough - not when they come out of prison and they're all back to square one."

"Jo," drug addict

But not for much longer. At a six foot five, he is a mountain of a man - with a mission to clean up Peterborough.

For the last ten months his officers have been working under cover gathering evidence against suspected drug dealers. And for the last three weeks they've been arresting them.

At 6.30am, Operation Harrier jumps into action. On the morning I went with them, they raided six properties.

So far more than 70 people have been arrested and more than 50 charged.

In the last address - police find two men. Both are handcuffed - arrested - and the search for evidence begins.

It doesn't take long to find there's a stench in the flat - and there are needles everywhere - in the living room - in the kitchen - in the toilet.

Perhaps the most disturbing evidence is in the children's room: among the toys there are clear signs of drug use.

The police are proud of Operation Harrier - they hope it will clean up the streets - and cut crime.

It is radical in one way. From the early stages social services, housing,-lawyers and drug action teams have all been involved.

So has it made a difference ? Certainly to one mum who lives on the estate with her young daugher.

She tells me: "I'm just so pleased that somethings been done Hoepfully we'll get nice neighbours so we can sleep at night and we won't have to worry about people coming up here I'll feel a lot safer. "

Within hours of the raids police are out on the street again - giving out leaflets about drug abuse - answering questions. They insist its not just about knocking down doors.

But not everyone is convinced. "Jo" the drug user tells me: "Just arresting people and locking them up in prison isn't going to help.

It looks good on paper but it won't look very good on the streets of Peterborough - not when they come out of prison and they're all back to square one."

But the police are optimistic - they say there is help available for addicts - while Jeff and his team concentrate on the dealers.