A MAN who brought heroin and cocaine to East Lancashire for sale on the streets of Darwen has been jailed for five years.

James Donlevy, 21, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after admitting two charges of possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply.

The court heard how Donlevy, of Liverpool, had acted as a courier for a gang of Liverpool drug dealers.

He was paid £150 a time to drive a van from Merseyside to a Darwen flat, where he then "minded" the drugs while other gang members sold them on the streets.

David Pickup, prosecuting, said Donlevy and Jason Bingham, 34, were caught red-handed after police in Darwen had targeted the Ellenshaw Close flat belonging to Paul Riley, on May 26.

Christopher Collins, 22, of Bluejay Close, Liverpool and Riley, 35, were arrested at the flat and police waited for Donlevy and Bingham to return.

When they were arrested and their van searched police found 60 wraps of heroin and 60 wraps of cocaine.

At the time, Donlevy was already on bail after being caught with drugs and cash in Liverpool in March. He later admitted he had been returning from Darwen at the time of that offence.

Donlevy was jailed for three years and three months for the March offence and five years for the May offence, the sentences to run concurrently. Five other members of the gang were arrested in an earlier operation on May 17 and all apart from Donlevy were jailed in November.Darren Bentley, 32, of Nicholas Street, Darwen, received two and half years; Geraldine Box, 20 of Ellerbeck Road, Darwen, 15-months; Mark Clayton, 29, of Britten Street, Darwen, 21-months; Michael Franics, 26, of Duckworth Street, Darwen, two years and three months; and John Leonard, 20, of Bertram Road, Liverpool, three years and three months.

Riley was sentenced to 21-months, Collins two years and three-months, and Bingham, of Oak Grove, Darwen, got two-and-half years with a further eight months for theft offences.

DS Paul Langley, who led the investigations, said: "This gang had been active in Darwen for a considerable time, making up to £1,500 a day. Their targeting had an immediate impact on the amount of drugs within the Darwen area and we are certainly happy with the sentence handed to Donlevy who was instrumental in bringing the drugs across.

"We will continue to target drug dealers in Darwen people who are bringing drugs in from outside the county, and local dealers."