CLASS A drugs were seized and 20 wanted men and women arrested during a day-long crackdown on crime in South Gloucestershire.

Suspected criminals from Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury were taken into custody by police on Saturday, as a follow up to a similar force-wide operation earlier this year.

The majority were arrested on suspicion of violence, public order, dishonesty and failing to appear at court.

Uniformed and plain clothed officers and Avon and Somerset Constabulary's support group raided various properties across the area.

They discovered drugs thought to be cocaine at a house in Kingswood and arrested a 37-year-old woman on suspicion of being in possession of Class A drugs. She has now been released on police bail pending analysis of the drugs seized.

A 16-year-old boy arrested during the operation was given first-hand experience of how officers in South Gloucestershire are now dealing with anti-social youths.

He was handed out a £80 fixed penalty notice for a public order offence at St Mary's Shopping Centre in Thornbury. Fining juveniles was introduced in the district last month.

Four teenagers and a man were arrested for assault and have either been cautioned or released on bail pending further inquiries.

Five people were arrested for failing to appear at court, failing to pay fines or refusing to fulfil court punishment orders. They were all issued with a notice to appear before magistrates at the next available court date.

Acting detective inspector Carolyn Phillips, who led the operation, said: "We warned in June that we would continue our tough stance against those who deliberately evade the criminal justice system and flout the law and these arrests show that we have kept to our word.

"It will no doubt send a strong message to the criminal fraternity that we will not tolerate people's lives being made a misery through their actions."

She added: "We certainly haven't finished yet and there will be more arrests to follow to ensure South Gloucestershire continues to be a safe place to live and work."

The crackdown follows Operation Relentless in June, which saw 31 people arrested across the district and 300 arrested in the Avon and Somerset force area.