A drug dealer who ran from police after being caught trying discard 31 wraps of crack cocaine and heroine has been jailed for almost four years.

Calvin Lumedo caught the attention of plain clothes officers in the Wycliffe Road area of Gravesend on January 2, as he tried to ditch a package over a wall.

When the officers identified themselves as police, the 21-year-old ran off, but he was later arrested after being found with £346 in cash and the package full of drugs.

In an investigation assisted by Kent Police’s Operation Raptor team, a joint strategy between the force and Essex Police designed to tackle emerging criminal gangs, his mobile phone was forensically tested and messages showed requests for drugs from users.

Lumedo, formerly of Anerley Road, Norwood, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court last week charged with possessing heroin with intent to supply and possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply and was sentenced to three years and 10 months behind bars.

Detective Constable Mark Donovan said: "Lumedo was arrested as a result of some really robust policing by local officers and ultimately this has prevented a significant amount of drugs from being distributed onto the streets of Gravesend.

"Criminals like Lumdeo wrongly believe they can operate with impunity in areas such as Gravesend, but I’d like to reassure residents there will be no let-up. Drug dealers who try and operate in this town can expect a robust response and ultimately a prison sentence."