A police unit is being set up to target drug dealers using Sussex roads to ferry supplies into the county.

Lines of police cars stopping and checking motorists will become more common as the unit closes in on dealers.

The effectiveness of checks was proved last week when 12 people were arrested as they entered Brighton and Hove by road and train.

Operation Disrupt focused on drug dealers commuting to the city from London.

Now officers from the old traffic division have been hived off to form the new force tactical strike team.

Police spokesman Phil Woolf said: "The aim is simple - to keep criminals off the roads and to disrupt criminal activity.

"Traffic officers already have the skills to deal with drivers and vehicles and they are the best equipped to form the team.

"Very few villains today operate without vehicles and if we can stop them on the roads and interfere with their plans, we can step up detection and prevention."

Advanced surveillance technology will be used but the force will not divulge details for fear of tipping off offenders.

The strike team will be based at police headquarters in Lewes and divisions around the county will bid for its services.

The old traffic unit, now known as the road policing unit, has been depleted as a result of the move and some insiders are unhappy.

One said: "Traffic officers were involved in targeting criminals on the roads anyway."

But Mr Woolf said a special unit could dedicate its time and resources to the sole task of tackling villains as they move about.

The strike team, to be headed by Chief Inspector Rob Carden, will be part of the force's operations department. This has responsibility for the armed special operations unit.

The new unit, still at the planning stage, is expected to begin operations early in the New Year.

During last week's operation, more than 100 officers were brought in to stem the flow of drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin into Brighton and Hove from London.

Thousands of pounds' worth of drugs were seized as well as a decommissioned rifle, a pistol, a 3ft samurai sword, a diver's knife, a machete, a butcher's cleaver and throwing stars.

As well as targeting cars by carrying out spot checks, officers and police dogs also stopped commuters arriving at Brighton station.

We reported in March how a man who commuted from London to Brighton every day and dealt his supplies until 7pm was snared by police. Reporters watched as he took an average of £100 an hour from users.