A 31 YEAR old father of one has been jailed for three and-a-half years for drug dealing.

Yusuf Mohammed, of Knutshaw Crescent, Bolton, was jailed at Bolton Crown Court after police found him in possession of more than 60 rocks of crack cocaine with a street value of more than £1,000.

Mohammed admitted to supplying the Class A drug for a four to five week period before his arrest.

The court heard that police had carried out a search on a house in Daisy Street, Bolton, in January. They found Mohammed sitting in the front room and he was seen throwing small white packages on to the floor.

Police recovered 32 white rocks of crack cocaine and Mohammed told them there was a further 37 rocks of crack cocaine in the house.

A total of 17 grams of the drug was recovered.

Mohammed was found with £685 cash on him. Bank statements showed that even though Mohammed was living on state benefits, £3,820 had passed through his account over a four month period.

The court was told Mohammed, a former taxi driver, did not have a history of drug use and had begun "dabbling" with drugs when he began having problems with his partner, beginning to supply drugs after running up a debt with a drug dealer.

Judge Derwin Hope said: "You have pleaded guilty to being in possession of 17 grams of crack cocaine with intent to supply.

"Crack cocaine is a particularly addictive type of class A drug and you were caught red handed with a lot of it."

However, he accepted Mohammed was genuinely remorseful for his actions.

Mohammed has previous convictions for dishonesty, the last being in 1989.