SENIOR police officers defended their "robust" operation at the Warehouse Nightclub during a well attended Police Authority meeting on Tuesday night.

More than 40 local people turned up to voice their concerns about the police raid which they generally described as 'heavy handed" and "inappropriate."

The officer in command of Operation Bubblewrap, Supt Jerry Graham, faced a series of questions from the audience which started with a call for the police to justify their actions on the night.

Supt Graham said: "I accept it was robust action. Drug dealing is a major concern nationally and locally, we have performance indicators for the number of people arrested for class A drugs. There is a body politic out there to whom drug dealing is not acceptable."

One young woman asked, if police surveillance had targeted known drug dealers, why was everyone in the nightclub treated like criminals. Another asked why a large number of officers wearing body armour were needed for such a small club.

Supt Graham said: "When we go into a club with 150 people, it's got to be done properly and we have to look at the risks to officers and the public. Personal protective clothing was worn because going into a confined space, where there are 150 people and alcohol, it's in no one's interest if glasses start to fly about."

This statemwnt was greeted by howls derision from the crowd which maintained there were only about 80 people in the club at the time and that it was officers themselves who were breaking glasses.

A concerned mother, who's daughter had been in the nightclub at the time of the raid and had been questioned and filmed by the police, asked what would happen to the video film of her daughter.

It was explained that the film will be held for a period of time before being destroyed. Another man asked about police identification numbers and why there were none apparent. A man who had been outside the club told the committee he had been arrested when he asked an officer for his name and number.

On several occasions, Supt Graham said he could not comment because court cases were pending but concluded: "This is an important issue, we acted in a robust way and frankly I make no apologies."