Police armed with electrified shields to fend off aggressive dogs stormed a house in Wolverhampton today in the search for illegal drugs.

Two Staffordshire cross breeds were running loose in the garden of the semi-detached house when officers armed with a battering ram smashed through a side gate.

Three dog-handling officers carrying the shields, which emit a loud crackle and are capable of stunning animals, were among the first through the gate in the raid at around 8.30am.

Police then smashed open a side entrance to the house.

Around a dozen officers had been told at an earlier briefing that there were intelligence reports linking the address to drug dealing.

Cars linked to criminals were said to have been seen at the property on Bolton Road, yards from Wednesfield Police Station.

A Ford Ka on the drive was searched by officers along with the inside of the house. A drugs sniffer dog was brought in to help.

As of 9.25am a small amount of cannabis had been found.

A woman at the property shouted at officers as she demanded to know why they had forced their way in and repeatedly said they would not find any illegal drugs.

The dogs, which are not illegal breeds, were kept in a pen in the back garden while police worked.

Sgt Tracey Baker said: “We’ve had a number of intelligence reports to say that there was dealing in cannabis from this address.

“We found a small amount of cannabis but nothing to suggest there’s dealing going on. Most of our intelligence comes from members of the public. We’d encourage members of the public to continue to supply us with information.”