Dogs were enlisted by police to help detect drug-related crime in an operation in Worcester city centre.

Worcester police used Toby, a specially trained Labrador borrowed from Warwickshire Police, to try to sniff out drug users and dealers in city centre pubs and clubs.

Toby, helped by another dog Zeus, was expected to scan' hundreds of drinkers on Friday night, while uniformed officers waited to seize potential offenders and plain-clothed officers watched for suspect reactions of other drinkers.

A police spokesman said the operation resulted in six arrests and 32 searches, including four arrests for possessing a controlled substance and one for going equipped to steal.

"Because of heavy rain, there were less people walking around the city centre than expected," he said. "This directly reduced the number of people the dog could scan."

This was the second time Toby has been used in Worcester.

The operation coincided with this week's launch by West Mercia's Operation Christmas Presence, which is designed to tackle drink-related crimes over the festive period.