FOUR people have been arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs after police carried out a welfare check on a vulnerable man.

Officers had visited a property in High Street in Brighton on Thursday (January 27) as part of 'Operation Cuckoo', which involves checks on vulnerable people deemed to be at risk of exploitation and 'cuckooing' - a practice by drug dealers using the homes of vulnerable people as a base to supply drugs from.

Police detected the smell of cannabis when they arrived and three people who were not believed to be residents of the property were found in one of the bedrooms.

Searches found all three were in possession of Class A drugs and/or items linked to the supply of illegal drugs.

Two men from London, aged 22 and 33 respectively, and a 19-year-old woman of no fixed address, were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug and released on conditional bail.

Officers visited the address again the following day (Friday, January 28) after a member of the public raised concerns about suspicious people at the property.

An 18-year-old man from Chichester was caught by officers after attempting to escape out of a rear window and arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs.

Sergeant Peter Marshall of Brighton and Hove's Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "The illegal drug trade goes hand in hand with violence and the exploitation of vulnerable people.

"Cuckooing has a devastating impact on the lives of victims, whose homes are taken over by drug dealers often through the manipulation of substance abuse issues or with the threat of violence.

"We will continue to work with our partners in the community to identify people who are at risk of this crime, put measures in place to keep them safe and bring the perpetrators to justice."

Sergeant Marshall urged anyone with concerns or suspicions to get in touch with the police online via the Sussex Police website or by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.

Have you got a story for us? Email news@theargus.co.uk or contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

You can also call us on 01273 021 400.