TWO brothers have been jailed for drug dealing.

Burnley Crown Court heard Mohammed Adeel Ilyas and Mohammed Shakeel Ilyas were jailed for a combined seven years for drug dealing in Blackburn earlier this year.

Recorder Alistair Webster described the Blackburn brothers as 'street dealers' who both have a long list of previous convictions of drug possession offences.

Their younger brother, Mohammed Abeel Ilyas, avoided a jail sentence after he was found with a bag containing around £37,000 worth of drugs.

The three brothers, from Whittaker Street, Wensley Fold, were all arrested earlier this year.

Adeel, 25, was being sentenced at crown court for supply of cocaine and heroin in a period between April 22 and July 10.

Shakeel, 27, was caught by police selling cannabis to a customer at around noon on Shaw Street on April 23.

Abeel, who was stood on the street at the time, ran back to the brothers' home after Shakeel shouted his name repeatedly.

The 23-year-old went to the house to pick up a JD sports bag which contained £26,250 worth of cocaine and crack cocaine, around £10,000 worth of heroin, along with cannabis and some cash. Abeel then left the house and got into a taxi which was later stopped by police where he was arrested.

Adeel, who has been previously convicted for supply of heroin in 2016, was charged with two counts of concern in the supply of Class A drugs and entered a guilty plea.

Shakeel was found guilty of one count of possession of Class B drugs with intent to supply.

Abeel pleaded guilty to one count of possessing criminal property and one count of possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply.

Richard Dawson, representing Abeel and Shakeel, said: "I concede Shakeel was street dealing cannabis. He set out dealing to support his own misuse of the drug.

"Abeel appeared to assist his brothers through a misguided sense of family loyalty and felt under some element of duress."

A prison sentence of five years and nine months was handed down to Adeel.

Shakeel will serve an 18 month jail term while Abeel received a concurrent 18 month sentence suspended for two years and will have to undertake 120 hours unpaid work.

Mr Webster concluded: "The three brothers were living together in a family home from which one or more drug businesses were being run.

"Adeel is a persistent street level dealer and supplied in diamorphine and cocaine in a period between April 22 and July 10 this year.

"There are no exceptional circumstances which would justify a reduction on a statutory minimum period of prison.

"Shakeel was street dealing and had significant reserves of cannabis for sale. Loyalty and pressure led to Abeel's involvement in serious criminality."