A county line drug dealer has been jailed after having his texts tracked.

Darryl Addae was identified as the man behind a line that sold heroin and crack cocaine in Ashford.

Police began investigating the 'Alex' line in November after becoming aware of messages being sent to drug users in town offering the drugs.

Detectives from the County Lines and Gangs Team investigated further, eventually identifying a silver Ford Focus which was being used to smuggle the drugs into Kent from east London,

The car was located at a property in Dagenham and, when officers carried out a warrant at the address on Friday, January 21, Addae ran from the back door and was arrested.

As well as the vehicle involved, scales, cash and phones were found at the property, which suggested the county line was also supplying drugs in Northamptonshire.

Addae admitted two charges of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday.

The 28-year-old, of Kensington Avenue, East Ham, was jailed for five years and seven months.

Detective Constable Andrew Julier, of the County Lines and Gangs Team, said: "As this case suggests, the people targeting vulnerable drug users in Kent are often the same people trying to traffic drugs to other parts of the country.

"I am pleased the quick investigative work carried out by local officers in Ashford and by my team has led to the prompt arrest of this man and the shutting down of a county line network which would otherwise being bringing drugs into Kent."