A stolen painting worth £1m was recovered after two drug dealers were arrested in Strood.

Harry Fisher and Strood man Zak Lal were arrested after officers stopped a Mercedes in Strood in June this year, and found one kilogram of cocaine and £30,000 in cash in the vehicle.

The arrest led to a search of Fisher's home in Kingston Upon Thames, where officers found three kilograms of cocaine, 15,000 ecstasy tablets, and the painting entitled Cookham from Englefield, which had been stolen in 2012 from the Stanley Spencer art gallery in Berkshire.

Fisher's family address in Fulham was also searched and police found a further quantity of class A drugs and £40,000 in cash, while a search of Lal's family address revealed £2,000 in cash and a number of cheap, disposable mobile phones.

The two men were sentenced at a hearing on Friday at Kingston Crown Court.

Fisher, 28, of Seven Kings Way, Kingston Upon Thames, was jailed for eight year and eight months, having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and acquiring criminal property.

Lal, 32, of Columbine Road, Strood, Rochester, was jailed for five years and eight months having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and acquiring criminal property.

Fisher also admitted a charge of handling stolen goods in connection with the £1 million painting, while Lal admitted possession of an offensive weapon in relation to a knife he had with him at the time of his arrest.

The total street value of the drugs found was estimated to be £450,000.

Detective Inspector Andy Whitewood, of the Met's Organised Crime Command, said: "These two men were caught in possession of a considerable amount of class A drugs as the result of a proactive investigation targeting high end, organised drug supply.

"A search of Fisher's address revealed a stolen £1m painting, this demonstrates the link between drugs trafficking and serious, acquisitive crime. I am pleased to say that the painting has now been returned to the art gallery from where it was stolen. The guilty pleas entered by both men were due to the weight of the evidence against them and are a testimony to the depth of the investigation.

"The sentences handed to these defendants should act as a deterrent to anyone else involved in the supply of illegal drugs."

A spokesman for the Stanley Spencer Gallery said: "The Stanley Spencer Gallery volunteers are immensely grateful to the various police sections who have contributed to the recovery of this remarkable painting which was stolen from us more than five years ago."