A MAJOR drugs ring flooding the streets of Bolton with heroin was smashed yesterday after five men were jailed for a total of 31 years.

The dealers, who included a former Bolton man and a man from Radcliffe appeared before Bolton Crown Court to be sentenced for conspiracy to supply heroin with a street value of £100,000.

Their conviction followed a lengthy operation by Greater Manchester Police's drugs unit in collaboration with local officers.

Police described the arrests as a major disruption to the supply of drugs into Bolton from Liverpool.

Undercover officers had tailed the couriers from Bolton to Liverpool before closing the net.

Sentencing the men at Bolton Crown Court Judge Gillian Ruaux said: "At least £100,000 worth of heroin won't hit the streets of Bolton that would have caused misery, degradation and even death."

Brian McNally, aged 32, of no fixed address had denied involvement in transporting £41,980 cash to pay for the drugs but police found his fingerprints on the bags containing the cash and on the bag containing the heroin and he was convicted after a trial last week.

Judge Ruaux jailed him for nine years after hearing about two previous convictions for selling class A drugs.

Frank Scowcroft, Simon Hollingsworth, George Breen and Peter Fletcher all admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply.

Scowcroft, aged 40 and formerly of Tonge Moor, Bolton but now living in Bournmouth, had taken the money to Liverpool with McNally and was sentenced to seven years in jail.

Hollingsworth, aged 33, of Waterside Close, Radcliffe, who was caught with heroin in his car outside a flat in Liverpool was jailed for four years.

Breen, aged 41,of Liverpool, was jailed for six years for his part in the heroin selling ring and 25-year-old Peter Fletcher, of Bootle, who transported the heroin to Breen's flat by taxi, received a five year jail term.

Prosecutor David Friesner said the operation began when undercover police saw Scowcroft put a package under his jumper following a meeting in a Bolton cafe with another man.

Scowcroft then put the package, which the prosecution say contained the £41,980 drugs payment, into his car.

Scowcroft was then followed and seen to pick up McNally before driving to George Breen's address in Walton.

Police saw Scowcroft take the carrier bag of money into the house and later Fletcher pulled up in a black cab.

He was seen to take a pink carrier bag, containing one kilo of heroin in two packets into the house.

Fletcher and McNally then left the house together with Fletcher carrying a bag of money .

They were stopped a few minutes later when wrapped £100 bundles of notes were found in the footwell of their car. McNally was found to have £645 cash on him wrapped in a similar way to the drugs money and Fletcher had £335.

Scowcroft and Breen were arrested inside the house where police discovered 11.3 grammes of heroin and £8,500 cash wrapped in a similar way to the drugs money.

The prosecution said that the £41,980 cash came from a major drugs gang in Bolton to buy the drugs worth £100,000.

After the case DI Jerry Donelley, from Greater Manchester Drugs squad said: "It has been a very successful conclusion to an 18 month operation.

"The people of Bolton can be reassured that the fight against drugs in the Bolton area will continue."