A WOMAN who was responsible for supplying the majority' of heroin in a village has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Police said that Amanda Mulcahy, 36, was the main dealer to heroin addicts in Bacup after she was jailed at Burnley Crown Court.

The court was told that Mulcahy was dealing commercially and repeatedly from a house in a residential area of the village.

Her sister-in-law Jacqueline Mulcahy, 39, whose home it was, was sent to prison for a year for her "one-off" involvement. The defendant, who had been on licence from a jail term for drugs supply at the time, must also serve the 90 days unexpired portion of the previous sentence.

Shaun Clawson, 22, who let his stepmother's home be used for drugs packaging and supply, was spared inmediate jail.

He was given 52 weeks custody, suspended for two years, with 12 months supervision and a six month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Amanda Mulcahy, of Tong Lane, Jacqueline Mulcahy, of New Line, both Bacup, and Clawson, of Lord Avenue, Stacksteads, all admitted supply-related allegations Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, told the court last December Amanda Mulcahy was visiting Jacqueline Mulcahy's premises at Britannia Avenue frequently and was seen to arrive promptly at 9pm five times.

She came out of the property, went to a blue wheelie bin outside the door and took a bag from it. Her DNA was found on drug related items in the bin and on some plastic bags.

Mulcahy came out of the house and dealt drugs to a man in a ginnel five times. He was arrested and had a wrap of heroin on him. Drugs were also found in her handbag.

Mr Lamberty said Jacqueline Mulcahy was arrested at the house and taken to Bacup police station. She was searched and a Kinder egg containing seven knotted £10 wraps of heroin was found.

Amanda Mulcahy was bailed and on January 12, went to visit her brother Thomas Declan Mulcahy, partner of Jacqueline Mulcahy, in Haverigg prison. A sniffer dog found a red baloon containing heroin on her but the defendant maintained it had been for her own use for the journey to Cumbria.

The prosecutor said four days later, police were watching a house on Osborne Terrace, Stacksteads, and saw Amanda Mulcahy and Clawson go into the property. Half an hour later, officers raided the property, forcing open the front door, and found the pair in the living room. They discovered heroin of 60 per cent purity and with a street value of £500.

For Amanda Mulcahy, David Temkin said she only sold heroin to known users. She claimed they were friends and people who were not vulnerable.

Michael Lavery, defending Jacqueline Mulcahy, said her involvement had been limited. She had passed a wrap to the man who bought drugs for no commercial gain. She had been an addict since the age of 33.

Defending Clawson, Amy Nicholson said he may have been put upon and taken advantage of.

DS Rob Goddard, who led the investigation, said: "A four and a half year sentence is a good result and we are happy with it.

"Amanda Mulcahy was supplying quite a lot of drug users in Bacup - it's a small town but in the grand scheme of things we can say that she was supplying to most of the heroin addicts in Bacup at the time."