THERE is no hiding place - that was the message being sent out to drug dealers across Gwent today as the Rat on a Rat scheme went into full swing.

The stark warning comes as the police and the Argus team up in the biggest drive yet to clear drugs from our streets.

Police head of community safety Brian Heal said: "The message to drug dealers is: Watch out, we are after you this month, big time.

"It's a promise from police that we will proactively deal with all the information coming in.

"We appreciate the effort the Argus is putting into this campaign, as it did with Operation Maple, which led to a fall in car crime.

"We look forward to this joint initiative."

He said the public had a key role to play in ensuring the conviction of dealers.

Mr Heal said extra officers were being drafted in to the three operational divisions in Gwent to deal with the influx of information on dealers.

He said the Metropolitan Police successfully ran Rat on a Rat in London three years ago.

Mr Heal said: "In some areas where Rat on a Rat campaigns have been held there has been a 1,500 per cent increase in calls to police on drugs crime."

DCI Adrian Erasmus is responsible for the intelligence and enforcement arm of the Rat on a Rat initiative.

He said: "These dealers need to be caught to prevent any other lives being ruined.

"The people supplying drugs are not glamorous people, they are the lowest of the low and basically sell human misery.

"I am sure every one of us knows someone who has had their life ripped apart as a result of drugs.

"The information the public has may be the final piece of a jigsaw. "It may be the key to the intelligence building up over the past few months."

Newport Gwent Dragons and Wales rugby coach Mike Ruddock, speaking at the launch of the initiative yesterday said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to send a message to drug dealers that we do not want them.

"We must work together to get these people out of our society."

He said the rugby stars in Wales were role models who could encourage young people to keep off drugs.

Gwent Police Rat on a Rat co-ordinator Bernie Collins said: "Financially, drugs affect every person in Gwent because of the thefts to feed drug habits.

"It affects our insurance premiums, there are longer waiting lists for health care and prices inflate because of shoplifting."

He said some addicts in Gwent had a £1,000-a-week habit, meaning they had to steal £5,000 to £10,000- worth of property to fund their addiction, as they were selling stolen goods at drastically reduced prices.

Argus editor Gerry Keighley said: "This link up with Gwent Police, following on the heels of our successful partnership on Car Safe and Operation Maple will, I hope, yield positive results.

"Driving drug dealers out of our community should be the aim of anyone who wants to see young people protected from drugs and society protected from the crime that drugs naturally attract."

The Rat on a Rat campaign was launched at the Parkway Hotel in Cwmbran yesterday morning.