A SMILING county lines drug dealer has been locked up after being caught red-handed by patrolling police officers.

Jack Welch appeared to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

The court heard how at around 11am on Saturday, February 26, plain-clothed officers were conducting an operation in Widnes when they witnessed a street deal.

Officers stopped and searched 25-year-old Welch and subsequently arrested him on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

A search was conducted at his home address, where a number of items were recovered.

This included a graft phone used for drug dealing, with an open message of ‘you still on mate’, as well as a large amount of white wraps and a set of scales.

Welch, of Avondale Drive in Widnes, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.

Following the sentencing, PC Lauren Henthorn, of Widnes Local Policing Unit, said: “This is a great result following some proactive work from the officers who stopped and searched Welch.

“It is another example of the zero tolerance to these kinds of offences, and if you do commit crime in Cheshire, we will find you and you will be prosecuted.

“We will not stop in the fight against county lines activity in Widnes and are committed to making the area as hostile as possible for these individuals.

“I would urge anyone who thinks drug criminality is happening in their area to please get in touch with us and we will do the rest.”

To learn how to spot the signs of drug activity taking place in your area, including county lines criminal exploitation, visit cheshire.police.uk/police-forces/cheshire-constabulary/areas/cheshire/campaigns/campaigns/2019/impact/