A MAN who sold ecstasy and cannabis felt he was providing a social service for drug users.

Keith Smith told a probation officer selling ecstasy and cannabis was victimless crime and that in his view selling drugs caused no problems.

But at Bolton Crown Court Judge Gillian Ruaux suggested Smith should talk with parents who had lost a child through taking ecstasy and highlighted how drugs were connected with other crimes.

Smith, aged 32, of Heddles Court in Leigh, admitted selling ecstasy tablets at £2 each as well as supplying

cannabis bush and resin over a period of two to three months. He admitted two counts of supplying Class A and Class B drugs to others and two counts of possessing Class A and Class B drugs with intent to supply.

Judge Ruaux gave him credit for his frank admissions and said selling Class A drugs was a very serious

offence.

Traffic

Jailing Smith for five years she said:" The country is in the grip of people who traffic in drugs causing people to become addicted."

Prosecutor Lisa Boocock said police found ecstasy tablets and cannabis, two mobile phones, snap bags and over £800 cash in Smith's home. He told police he had been dealing to friends for two or three months and had

bought 24 nine ounce bars of cannabis as well as batches of ecstasy tablets.

Police calculated Smith had made a minimum of £9,290 over the period he was dealing. The street value of the drugs found in the house was £2,128 for the cannabis resin, £880 for cannabis bush and £435 for the tablets.

Defending, Sean Brogan said Smith only sold drugs to friends on a small scale and although he knew it was wrong, he didn't realise how seriously drug dealing was viewed by the courts.