ACTION has been pledged to banish drug dealers from Fell Lane in Keighley.

Police, council wardens and councillors are working with residents to rid the neighbourhood of the menace.

Planned measures include increased patrols, an online warning system, a direct link to Crimestoppers and launching a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

The crime crackdown follows reports from worried householders dealers are operating a mobile ‘drugs takeaway’ service in secluded parts of lower Fell Lane and surrounding terraced streets.

Residents claim to have seen people in parked cars passing suspicious packages between each other.

One of the reported hotspots is outside the Trinity Church near Fell Lane’s junction with Oakworth Road.

There have also been reports of cars stopping at night near allotments, and vehicles gathering in Fell Lane, Industrial Street and Arncliffe Road to drive to and from a nearby quarry.

A multi-agency task force on Friday saw police, wardens and district councillors knock on doors along Fell Lane to talk to residents about the problem.

Councillors Jan Smithies and Adrian Farley, who represent Keighley West ward on Bradford Council, organised the intelligence-gathering operation following growing concerns about dealing.

Cllr Smithies said residents backed up initial allegations and revealed other places where suspicious vehicles gather.

She added: “We’re really pleased by the response from people on the doorstep. Residents are our eyes and ears – they’re the ones most affected.

“People were obviously careful about being identified, but some were able to give us approximate times of day. It’s quite useful if people can keep car registration numbers.

“People mentioned cars at funny times of night coming to the allotments. They seemed certain drug-dealing was going on.”

Cllr Smithies stressed although Fell Lane is the current focus of police and council efforts, she had received reports of similar drug-dealing across the entire Keighley West ward, including outlying countryside.

Cllr Farley said several residents are keen to set up a Neighbourhood Watch, which could run either independently or as part of an existing scheme in nearby Nashville Terrace.

He added: “Police need details, which help them allocate resources for patrols. If it’s not logged, the police don’t know there’s a problem.”

Cllr Farley said that Fell Lane, Industrial Street and Arncliffe Road seemed to form one hotspot.

He added: “A couple of residents told us cars seem to be congregating there and driving up to the nearby quarry then back again.”

Sergeant Julie Boardman, from Keighley Police’s Area Neighbourhood Team, said her officers had received good information on Friday.

She added: “This is helping us to progress our enquiries and we have increased patrols in the area as a result.”

Officers also encouraged people to sign up to Online Watch Link, a free service that distributes regular policing updates and allows people to raise concerns.

Steve Tunstall, secretary of the Trinity Church, said he had not been made aware of any suspicious activities in the vicinity of the church.

But he admitted: “We seldom have evening functions. We don’t have church services at night.

“I haven’t seen anything when I’ve been around there at night. Several church members live locally and have not raised any issues.”