A MAN said by a judge to have been selling drugs from his Burnley home has been jailed for four years.

Thomas Cairns shouted "police" as a warning to another man on the premises when officers turned up to search the house in Hudson Street.

That second man, who tried to swallow a golfball-sized package of drugs during the raid, was also sentenced when both appeared at Preston Crown Court.

Cairns, 36, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to supply and possession of cocaine.

His co-defendant John Muldoons, 41, admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply and obstructing a lawful search. He was given two years' community rehabilitation.

Nick Courtney, prosecuting, said the search took place on February 28 this year. Cairns answered the door to the address where both defendants were living.

Cairns was was restrained and as other police went to search upstairs that defendant shouted "police". In an upstairs room Muldoons was placing a plastic bag into his mouth, to try and swallow it.

He was physically restrained and prevented from swallowing what was later found to be over 15 grammes of heroin.

Other drugs were also found, including a bag of cocaine.

John Woodward, for Cairns, said the defendant had been a heroin addict since a teenager. He had never before received a custody sentence.

In the last couple of years his marriage had broken down. He lost his job and turned more and more to heroin for solace.

"Unfortunately it has taken prison for him to look back and see exactly where he is going wrong."

Judge Peter Smith told Cairns in handing down a four year sentence: "You were trading in drugs from your premises."

Joe Boyd, defending Muldoons, said the defendant had been sleeping on a mattress at the Burnley address for a short time.

"He had taken a small amount of heroin to use and put the golf ball of drugs back.

"When the police arrived he tried to destroy the drugs. He too had been addicted to the drug for a long period," added the barrister.