A man has been charged after police raided Hounslow bookmakers Totesport in a street plagued by drug dealers.
Cops entered Totesport, beside the Bell Pub in Staines Road, on February 26, with a sniffer dog and searched nine people, including staff.
They arrested and charged one man after discovering six bags of herbal cannabis.
The top of Hounslow High Street, by Bell Road, is a known drugs hotspot, with users often involved in fights and antisocial behaviour.
Police, who have been monitoring the area since November, discovered that much of the drug-related 'activity' originated from the vicinity of Totesport.
Sergeant Bruce Wilson, of Hounslow Heath Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), has been giving staff crime prevention and security advice so they know what to do when witnessing such behaviour.
Officers have continued to patrol the area and, on February 27, stopped more than 20 people and searched them for drugs and weapons, although no arrests were made.
Sergeant Karen Horswood, of Hounslow Central SNT, said: "Police have been successful in disrupting the criminal activity but drug dealing is still prevalent in this area by known offenders. We are exploring many avenues to curb this unpleasant and illegal activity."
A spokesman for Totesport said he was not aware of any previous problems at the store and all staff had been told to report any suspicious behaviour.
"Quite often when people are on the run they duck into whatever shop's nearest," he added.
"We have CCTV in all our shops and customers have to request a key if they want to use the toilets."
A man aged 20 has been charged with possession of cannabis and is due to appear at Feltham Magistrates' Court on March 27.
