Parts of Admiralty Park were cordoned off yesterday as Police completed yet another pre-Christmas clampdown on criminality.

Two men were arrested for possession of controlled drugs, ?several others? were arrested on warrants and a large quantity of drugs in the vicinity were also recovered as officers mounted the daytime clampdown on the notorious drug hang-out.

The operation, which involved the canine unit, was the latest in a series of high profile Police operations being mounted across the Island as part of a purge over the Festive season.

?Admiralty Park is one of a number of hotspots frequented by drug dealers,? said a Police spokesman.

?A number of officers attended and parts of the area were cordoned off during the operation. This is just another example of the high visibility Policing that is in place and we want the message to go out loud and clear that we will not tolerate criminality and anti-social behaviour.

?There were several arrests and a quantity of drugs were also recovered from the area. We are taking criminals and drugs off the street.?

It is understood some of those arrested on warrants had been involved in violent crime in recent weeks. The operation, in part, was a response to a high volume of complaints by local residents. Police officers were also out in numbers in Hamilton both to assist with ?crowd control? and to deal with would-be shoplifters.