THREE men were arrested after a raid on a house in Blackwood yesterday.

The men were arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs after police swooped on a house in Waunllwyn Crescent.

Officers also found three bottles of an unidentified substance at the house and specialist officers from the fire service were called in to help police identify and remove the substance.

Police cordoned off the house for several hours last night, which they described as a precautionary measure to protect nearby residents.

Laura Lemka, who lives three doors away from the raided semi-detached house, said police found chemicals at the back of the house and she was told to stay inside and to keep her doors and windows closed.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: "This is the fourth time this house has been raided in the past few months."

The man said he thought the occupants had lived there for around two years.

Bernard Horne said police raided the house at around 5pm, adding that the people living in the house kept themselves to themselves.

Both plain-clothes and uniformed police were still outside the house at 8pm last night and a police van, ambulance, an ambulance response vehicle and two fire engines went to the street following the raid.

Police said the three men were still being quizzed today.