A COUPLE who allowed their Morecambe hotel to be used as a base for drug dealing have both been jailed for 18 months. An undercover police surveillance operation on the bed and breakfast hotel in Clark Street revealed up to 30 drug users were calling there daily to buy heroin. Preston Crown Court was told how Richard and Patricia Dakin turned a 'blind eye' to the drug dealing being done by Mrs Dakin's son Mark Ansell and his friend Jason Elder.

During the police operation carried out last Autumn, a policeman posed as a drug customer and made three test purchases of heroin from Ansell.

Mr Dakin, 49, and his wife 54, both of Clark Street, Morecambe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin.

Ansell, 32, also of Clark Street, was jailed for six years and Elder, 23, of Monkswell Drive in Bolton-le-Sands was sent down for four years. They both admitted the conspiracy charge. Passing sentence Judge Ronald Livesey, QC, told the defendants: "Each of you played your individual part in the supply of heroin.

You must all realise that those who deal in heroin or play any part in its distribution will inevitably be met with a sentence of imprisonment upon their conviction."

John Duncan, prosecuting, said police began observations on the hotel in September, last year. A large number of callers, including women with young children, were seen going to the hotel's back yard. Mr Duncan told the court it was the prosecution's case that Richard Dakin was the 'safe pair of hands' for the storage of drugs while Mrs Dakin acted as a 'banker'.

Mr Jeremy Lasker, defending Mr Dakin and Ansell, said the hotelier had 'closed his eyes' to the fact that his stepson was dealing in drugs.

"He knew people were coming to the hotel to be supplied with drugs and if he could, he would turn the clock back," said Mr Lasker.

He told the court Ansell initially started dealing to finance his own heroin addiction but it grew out of all proportion.

Mr Lasker said: "He feels responsible for involving his mother and stepfather."

Mr Patrick Thompson, defending Mrs Dakin, said: "In effect she kept the money for Ansell and kept it safely locked away until he needed it."

Mr Russell Davies, defending Elder, said his client had been involved in heroin dealing with Ansell but had made no financial reward.

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