A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of dealing in cannabis as police raided 10 homes on an Oxford estate.

The teen was one of 14 people arrested yesterday in Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys as 70 police seized drugs and weapons during one of the biggest operations of its kind on the estate.

The raids were carried out as part of a three-day crackdown that will include extra patrols, officers on horses and a community action day tomorrow.

Officers, some with dogs, stormed five homes simultaneously at 5am, including three flats in Warburg Crescent, a flat in Moorbank where nine wraps of what was believed to be crack cocaine were found, and a house in Field Avenue where what was suspected to be cannabis divided up into bags were discovered.

An illegal pepper spray was discovered in a flat in Warburg Crescent.

Raids at Birchfield Close yielded a fist-size lump of suspected crack cocaine and around 300 plants, thought to be cannabis, at Whitethorn Way.

Five people, including a 13-year-old boy, were arrested on suspicion of dealing cannabis at a house in Emperor Gardens, where police also found a stash of cash and a crossbow. Insp Andy Storey, area commander for Blackbird Leys, said: “During recent consultation with the public on Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys drugs again topped the list.

“We’ve made arrests and recovered a sizable amount of class A and class B drugs which means it isn’t going out on the streets.

“Blackbird Leys has a localised drug problem. This may not stamp out the problem entirely, but that doesn’t mean we should not do it.”

Residents have been complaining dealers used alleyways surrounding Warburg Crescent.

One woman, who was too frightened to give her name, said: “I won’t go out at night because of the dealers in the alleyways round here.

“Hopefully, three raids here will stop it or at least calm it down for a while.”

Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Gordon Roper said: “It shows people are coming forward with information and the drug dealers are being watched.

“Full marks to the police – it shows they aren’t dormant.” mwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk