Drug dealers targeting football matches around the Island are making around $5,000 in marijuana sales alone in the first hour as the problem with narcotics in sport has reached an alarming level, a Police chief has warned.

Inspector Stuart Crockwell, who is also an international football referee, said Bermuda was the only country in the world where drugs were being openly and brazenly sold and smoked around soccer pitches.

And he revealed that as well as selling marijuana, they were also peddling crack cocaine and other drugs.

He said he was embarrassed by the bad element, who have driven away the family atmosphere - and said it was time that the good people reclaimed the game.

As the head of the Police Support Unit, he spoke to The Royal Gazette yesterday and said the Police were working with the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) and the clubs to clean up the game and kick drugs out.

And he promised that Police raids would be carried out at a number of football matches within the coming weeks to rid the game of the bad element and encourage families to attend.

"There are between 12 and 15 football clubs with fields and facilities on the Island, and we have visited all of these clubs at some point and seized drugs," said Insp.. Crockwell.

"Kids as young as 14, 15 and 16 are at games smoking marijuana. It's a sad situation. There are big dealers targeting football matches. As a referee, I see drugs at football and I smell it. I have seen footballers do it when they are not playing.

"We are talking about dealers going to a soccer game where you have 1,500 people. And you may have 150 to 200 people wanting to buy drugs. At $50 for a bag of weed, the dealers are looking at a lot of money.

"They will sell 100 bags of weed in an hour. That's $5,000, which is very quick money. And the same people who do this, don't want to pay the $8 entrance fee into the game. They sit on roofs of nearby buildings or nearby boundary walls, instead of paying to get in like everyone else. Football and the community is losing out."

He said because the bad element had forced families to stay away from the game, and because so many people snuck into the ground without paying, over the years clubs had lost thousands of dollars, if not millions.

Insp Crockwell said the Police have been cracking down on drugs at football matches for the last couple of years, but said the campaign was being stepped up this year.

And he said his own personal target was to visit every ground by November 11 this year, so by the time the Martonmere Cup Final is held, families will return to the game and support who ever is playing.

He added: "I want to get the message home to everyone within the next few weeks. Drugs in football is to be no more. We have zero zero zero tolerance."

"If we find people with drugs at football matches, not only will they be arrested and find themselves before the courts, but they could also be facing a ban from all matches on the Island. And what they should remember is that football grounds are increased penalty zones, so the penalties will be greater from the courts.

"We are answering cries from the community. Families will be able to go to soccer games and be in a safe environment."

The BFA, headed by president Larry Mussenden, has invited the Police Support Unit to attend matches across the Island in the joint crackdown on drugs. Last Saturday night, officers seized a number of drug packages at the BAA, and just the mere presence of the Police saw a "bad element" leave the ground.

The BFA has formed a safety and security committee, which is looking at all safety aspects of the game, including drugs, bad behaviour, foul language, and the surroundings of the grounds.

And heading up that committee is Detective Constable Calvin Smith, who leads the Police Soccer Section, and was elected onto the committee by the affiliated clubs - himself being a member of a football club.

He said the committee was not only dealing with drug users, although that was one of its main objectives.

He added: "The majority of the grounds are in a good state, but each field has problem areas, and it's these areas we are going to be focussing on.

"Drugs are just a part of it. We have unruly behaviour, bad language and other things to clamp down on. It's not going to be a big task, but it is going to take a big effort by the BFA, affiliates, field operators and spectators. The spectators are going to be a big part of it.

"Although we advocate drug free sport, we can't tell people how to run their lives, but what we are asking is that they don't do it when they come a soccer game.

"It has been like this with drugs for a long time, but the difference is that now people do it much more openly. Once upon a time, they would go to the bathroom to roll a spliff and smoke it in secret, but now it's the thing to do in public.

" It is out of control. But it doesn't matter how many drugs we find on people, they will each be arrested if in possession. In my opinion, one spliff is far too many."