POLICE used a battering ram to smash their way into a York pub during an early-morning swoop.

Officers with a search warrant raided the Spread Eagle, Walmgate, at 7.30am today.

Landlord Craig Regan told the Evening Press the surprise raid was not linked to drugs or stolen property. He said: "I'm as much in the dark as you are about this."

Mr Regan confirmed police used a battering ram to gain entry.

Six uniformed officers, wearing search gloves, and three plain-clothed detectives spent over an hour at the property. They drew pub curtains and padlocked a back gate before searching rooms and outside sheds.They left in a marked van at 8.15am carrying a black holdall, plastic bag, tool box, step ladders and steel door ram.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed a search warrant had been executed at the pub.

He said a man was arrested and was being quizzed at Fulford Road police station. A worker who arrived at the pub after the raid team expressed surprise at the police activity.

He thought the front door - badly shattered from the handle upwards - was damaged by vandals.

Updated: 14:50 Friday, November 07, 2003