A DRUG dealer found with £60,000 of cocaine and a gun has been jailed for 13 years.

Wasim Raza's 1kg stash of Class A drugs was one of the largest single hauls ever seized by Blackburn police, officers said.

The sentence has been welcomed by a senior officer, who said that a 'substantial link' in the town's drug chain had now been smashed.

Officers found the cocaine, along with 'the tools of the trade for a drug dealer,' after following a trail of evidence that led them to a white Mercedes Sprinter van parked in Bold Street, Blackburn.

A search warrant was executed at 47-year-old Raza's Thirlmere Close, Larkhill, home on May 22 last year, where police discovered the keys for the van.

The vehicle was quickly located in Bold Street, less than one-mile away.

Stuffed into a holdall in the back of the van was 108 one-gramme wraps of cocaine and a 1kg block of the drug, alongside £1,505 cash, a converted 8mm handgun and two gun cartridges.

Raza was found guilty of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply following a trail at Preston Crown Court.

The court had heard how the van also contained a drug dealers 'tools' - a coffee grinder, plastic bags and chemicals to cut the 77 per cent pure cocaine.

A further 12 wraps of cocaine were found inside Raza's family home.

After the sentencing Detective Sergeant Jon Bayly, of Blackburn's intelligence unit, said that Raza's imprisonment would have a drastic effect on the streets of Blackburn.

He said: "This was a substantial amount of drugs - probably one of the largest amounts we have ever had in one haul - and removing that from the supply chain is an excellent achievement.

"Raza was a substantial link in that chain.

"This was a drug dealer who was prepared to arm himself with a gun and that is something that will not be tolerated.

"I am delighted with the sentence and hope it acts as a serious deterrent to others considering engaging in criminal activity.