A broken tail light led to a father and his son being jailed for drug dealing after more than £70,000 worth of cocaine was seized.

Bags of cannabis and wraps of cocaine, as well as about £4,200 in cash and two mobile phones, were found in a car officers pulled with faulty car lights.

Gary Benson, 30, of Ethlebert Terrace, Margate, was sentenced to a total of three years and nine months for possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.

His father Neil Benson, 59, of Mentmore Road, Ramsgate, was sentenced to a total of five years and three months at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, June 15, for the same offences.

They had both pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Officers on patrol on January 26 in Margate spotted a blue Ford Focus travelling along Northdown Road with a tail light out and requested for it to stop.

Inside the vehicle was Gary Benson, who admitted to police he had drugs in the car.

The drugs, cash and phones were found, and a further search of his home address uncovered more bags of compressed cannabis.

Further inquiries led the officers to another property in Ramsgate where Neil Benson was present along with £7,800 cash and a large amount of cocaine.

In total, the cocaine seized from both this address and Gary Benson’s car had a potential street value of £71,770 while a total of 1.5kg of cannabis was seized.

Detective Inspector Dave Cox said: "It was thanks to good old-fashion police work that the Bensons, who profited from others’ misery and vulnerability, are now in jail.

"Drugs can have a devastating impact on people’s lives and the community and not only are the Bensons out of business, but a significant amount of drugs is now off the streets of Thanet.

"Furthermore, Kent Police will now look to explore the powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act in relation to the £12,000 seized by the officers who spotted that faulty rear light on Gary Benson’s car."