A DRUG user who supplied undercover officers with heroin has won his freedom after a judge slammed police.

John Jenkins, 34, was locked up during Operation Farenheit after giving drugs to two officers purporting to be users.

But Burnley Crown Court heard he had not been the target.

He had been asked to get drugs for them and the dealer who supplied heroin to him was not prosecuted.

This prompted his barrister to say Operation Farenheit had "not been so hot".

The court was told Jenkins, who had given the officers three lots of drugs had refused a fourth time as he was trying to kick his habit.

He had committed the offences in January last year, but had not been arrested until the end of August, by which time he was subject to a community order and was winning his drugs battle. Jenkins had been behind bars on remand for 127 days.

The defendant, of Regent Street, Nelson, admitted three counts of supplying heroin.

He was given 52 weeks in jail, suspended for two years, with a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 18 months' supervision.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told Jenkins those who supplied drugs had to expect jail but the case was unusual as Jenkins had not been the target of the operation and was not really a street dealer.

She added the person "higher up the ladder" had not been prosecuted for dealing.

Judge Lunt went on: "He has apparently got off scot free which I find astonishing."

David Macro, prosecuting, told the court two officers went to Giles Street in Nelson, looking for two men who had numbers for drugs suppliers.

Jenkins was there and told them to come back later.

The officers returned, Jenkins said he was going to "score" and agreed to sort the officers out.

Philip Holden, defending, said for some reason best known to themselves, police had targeted drug users as a mechanism to get to drug suppliers.

Jenkins agreed, whilst getting his own small supply of drugs, to help the officers and no crime would have been committed but for the actions of the police.

Mr Holden said Jenkins was in no way, shape or form a drugs dealer and could have claimed entrapment, but he wanted to enter his pleas and know his fate.