A Bolton man who was caught with more than £1,000 of heroin he intended to sell to others has been jailed.

Ariel Brooks was found with 50 packages of the Class A drug to be sold separately in £20 deals.

Bolton Crown Court heard a flat in the town was raided by police in February last year.

William Staunton, prosecuting, said: “Police entered through an unlocked door and were able to detain all those persons within 10 seconds of entering.

“The defendant was found to be in possession of 50 packages of Class A drugs.

“There were 12 grams of diamorphine and 1.1 grams of crack cocaine.

“The drugs had a street value of £1,140

“He was also in possession of £1,025 in cash which he initially suggested was rent related.

“He had a Nokia mobile which was examined without the cooperation of the defendant, it was found to contain certain messages suggestive of drug dealing such as selling in twenties referring to sales.

“These messages suggest he appears to have been paying off debts he owed to suppliers higher up the chain.”

Mr Staunton said that others found in the property were not involved in selling drugs.

Brooks, 21, appeared in court to be sentenced after admitting to possession of both heroin and crack cocaine and one of possession of heroin with the intent to supply it to others.

The court heard he had previously been convicted of driving while under the influence of cannabis.

Daniel Liston, defending, asked for a sentence to be kept as short as possible and said the amounts were “not the largest these courts have seen".

Recorder Simon Hilton, imposing a sentence, said the starting point for the offence should be four and a half years, but he reduced this to take account of his age and “inexperience in life,” lack of previous convictions for drug dealing and guilty pleas.

Brooks, of Moortfield Lane, Bolton, was jailed for two years and three months.