Police catch drug dealers while on lockdown patrol in the Yorkshire Dales

Officers have been asking drivers in the National Park whether they are local residents making essential journeys, and pulled over a black Audi near Malham on April 10.

However, the car was driven away as police approached. The occupants later abandoned the vehicle at Malham Rakes and fled on foot.

Police found a discarded bag nearby containing suspected cocaine, and cannabis was removed from the Audi.

Four men in their 20s were arrested in Malham a short time later on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to supply. They are from the Shipley and Keighley areas.

All four remain in North Yorkshire Police custody.

Malham is one of several hotspots in the Dales where police have been enforcing lockdown regulations and advising visitors from outside of the area to return home. Families from Leeds, Bradford and even Oldham have been spoken to by officers so far.

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