SIXTY Kent Police officers sit arms folded, black boots resting on the floor and ears pinned back as they are briefed on the morning’s mission.

The plan is to execute 20 different warrants in Dartford, Gravesend, Swale and Medway as part of Operation Castle: a force-wide three-month campaign aimed at tackling burglary and vehicle crime.

A US marine-style shout of "hoorah" from one officer may be ironic, but everyone is taking Detective Chief Inspector Ann Lisseman seriously when she steps forward to speak.

DCI Lisseman tells her assembled troops it is important they stay safe but also get the job done.

She said: "It is really important that we go in really quick and really hard and fair, and do a most thorough search of each address.

"The addresses we have chosen have been selected on the basis of really good intelligence."

The plan is to strip criminals of their assets "because that is where it hurts them", adds DCI Lisseman.

The meeting is done and with this challenge ringing in their ears one party of officers heads out at around 7.30am to a Gravesend tyre yard whose owner has been trafficking drugs into the country, according to a tip-off.

On a blustery, slate grey morning by the Thames the gentleman in question is not best pleased when tasked with opening up his business so officers can commence their search.

With 12 shipping containers each containing around 400 tyres, officers get to work on the dirty job of combing through the lot searching for imported drugs.

On this occasion, a pile of oily rags is their only reward but elsewhere in the county raids have been more successful.

Eighteen arrests were made, £16,000 cash seized and hauls of drugs worth thousands of pounds recovered, including substances believed to be crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

Jewellery, clothes and a car believed to be linked to burglaries and thefts were also seized in the April 17 day of action.

Deputy Chief Constable Alan Pughsley tells News Shopper Kent criminals have a decision to make.

He said: "They have got a choice which is they either work with us and our partners or if they keep committing crime here, we will do our utmost to arrest them, put them before the courts and hopefully in prison."

As for the tyre yard police may have been unlucky this time but hopefully they - and one chilly reporter - will hit the jackpot next time.