A quantity of the drug as well as cannabis was recovered in simultaneous raids on addresses around the Oxford Road area of Reading.

More than 60 Thames Valley Police officers took part in the raids.

In a recent government report Reading was named as one of the worst places for crack cocaine in Britain.

'High Crack Area'

PC Stuart Birkett said: "There have been a number of arrests and a quantity of crack cocaine has been seized.

"As well as that, we are reassuring members of the public that live around here that we are working together and we are trying to get to the problem where it is and are trying to eliminate it the best we can."

Operation Eightfold, which targets crack cocaine use, was launched recently in response to a government announcement that the Reading and Wokingham area is officially a "High Crack Area" (HCA).

Reading's Oxford Road has been the scene of numerous raids in recent months.

In September police arrested 45 people and raided three suspected crack houses.