A kingpin of a drug supply network has been jailed after police found £320,000 worth of cocaine hidden in the back of a van.

Stephen Miseldine, 28, was arrested at Gatwick Airport on in May as he attempted to leave the country for Spain.

Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate had been able to link him to the discovery of the drugs, which had been concealed in a secret compartment beneath a purpose-built shelving unit.

Miseldine, formerly of Monkwood Close, Rochester, was jailed for six years when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

The court heard how officers from Cheshire Police stopped the van on the M26 motorway in August last year.

A drugs dog was used to help search the vehicle, which led to the discovery of 4kg of cocaine.

"This is an important result for the people of Kent as Stephen Miseldine was at the top of a drug supply network that preyed on those addicted to cocaine" - DC Mark Froome

The driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to possessing a class A drug with intent to supply.

Further investigations revealed the man had made a telephone call while being pursued by police, to a number which officers found belonged to Miseldine.

A text message had also been sent from the same number containing a Liverpool postcode where the driver is believed to have collected the cocaine from.

Miseldine left the country to live in Spain while the investigation was ongoing, but returned to the UK a few days before his arrest.

Investigating officer DC Mark Froome said: "This is an important result for the people of Kent as Stephen Miseldine was at the top of a drug supply network that preyed on those addicted to cocaine.

"We were able to prove he had been in contact with the driver of the van containing the substance, and the court agreed with our view that he played a big part in arranging for it to be picked up and hidden in the back of the vehicle.

"Miseldine attempted to escape justice in Spain but his crimes caught up with him in the end and he will now serve time behind bars as a result."