A GANG of Jamaicans who travelled to Bolton and set up a drug dealing network have been jailed for 18 years.

The three men now face deportation after being convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine on the town's streets.

The trio, who shared a flat near the town centre, were captured in a covert surveillance operation by undercover police.

The men denied the offences but were convicted following a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Kernard McKenzie, aged 32, Raymond Minzie, aged 40 and Barrington Laguerre, aged 40, were all found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and were jailed for eight, six and four years respectively.

Prosecutor Mr Gary Woodhall told how the drug-dealing network centred around the flat they shared on Bradford Street, The Haulgh, after arriving in Britain in late 2000.

Undercover officers tracked them coming in and out of the property together and meeting on a nearby back street.

The property was raided in January this year. Officers recovered cocaine worth £14,365 and heroin valued at £1,250 from the property and defendants' pockets.

They also seized £6,800 in cash.

Minzie and Laguerre were said to have "minded the shop" while McKenzie went on to the streets to deal. The men had made regular money transfers to accounts in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The court heard that they made regular trips to London to buy the drugs from which they made a huge profit.

Passing sentence Judge Anthony Rumbelow QC told the men he would be writing to the Home Secretary to recommend that they be deported.