Thousands of pounds have been allocated to a seaside town in north Wales in an attempt to stem the flow of drugs into the area.

Announcing the extra cash Welsh Finance Minister Edwina Hart said Rhyl was an attractive place for dealers from big cities in England to sell drugs.

Drugs have become an "acute" problem in Rhyl

A total of �88,000 will be spent on policing the drugs problem - providing money for surveillance equipment, mobile CCTV units and youth diversion projects.

Ms Hart described the drugs issue in Rhyl as "acute" - compounded by the access to cheap accommodation in the area.

"The problems stem from the easy access to the area from drug dealers from the big conurbations such as Liverpool and Manchester," she said.

"The problem is most acute in Rhyl because of the old seaside accommodation which is now used for multi-occupancy," she added.

'Drug cartels'

A spokesman from the North Wales Health Authority said the money could have been spent on helping people with drug problems.

"Treatment is our priority and we are trying to help people who are victims of drug cartels," he said.

Ann Jones Vale of Clwyd AM had been calling for financial aid to address the problem in Rhyl for some time.

"Recently I wrote to the Home Secretary asking him to allocate extra funding to help North Wales Police as he has done for south Wales," she said.

The drugs problem will be tackled

"This funding will assist in the fight against drugs, and allow for efforts to deal with anti-social behaviour."

In March the West ward of Rhyl was one of five communities designated as a "policing priority area".

The Home Office's Police Standards Unit (PSU) intervened in local policing for the first time and along with individual forces identified key problems to tackle.

The West ward of Rhyl was classified as the most deprived area of Wales in 2000.

The town, along with nearby Prestatyn, has also been the focus of one of largest drugs crackdowns by North Wales Police.

In February, the last of 26 drug dealers was sent to jail following the operation, codenamed Decade.