A DRUG dealer from Grays was one of three men jailed for a total of more than 11 years following work by specialist officers in Essex Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

They were all sentenced at Basildon Crown Court with Alfie Harding jailed for five years and a month and Keith Harding and Jason Nicholls both sentenced to three and-a-half years in prison.

It followed an investigation into the sale of Class A drugs in the south of the county.

They were arrested earlier this year after our officers had observed 49 year-old Nicholls and 61 year-old Keith Harding involved in a drug deal where £13,000 in cash was exchanged with another man for 1kg of cocaine before returning to Harding's car.

Following the deal, officers stopped the car arresting the pair and recovering money and drugs.

Through further investigations, officers were also able to link Alfie Harding's fingerprints to the cash used in the deal while additional phone work was also able to link the three of them together.

When officers searched the house Keith and 22 year-old Alfie Harding shared in Seventh Avenue, Canvey Island, they seized a total of £5,750 in cash which was believed to have been the result of selling drugs.

Alfie Harding was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and acquiring, using, or possessing criminal property.

Keith Harding was charged with possession with intent to supply a Class A drug as was Nicholls, of Scott Road, Grays.

They admitted the charges and were sentenced on December 15. 

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Stephen Robson, from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "Drugs pollute our society, ruining lives and destroying communities.

"Alfie and Keith Harding and Jason Nicholls were involved in and responsible for the sale of Class A drugs in south Essex – something we cannot tolerate.

"Our work means they are now spending Christmas – and the foreseeable future – behind bars.

"But we don't stop there. We continue to work to identify, target, and tackle those responsible for selling drugs across Essex and will continue to put them where they belong, alongside these three men."