A HEROIN street dealer who carried on delivering drugs after being caught with a £2,000 stash in a police chase, has been jailed for five years.

Cocaine addict Hasnain Ashraf, 23, had more than 200 heroin deals stashed in the car he was driving in Nelson, last September.

Police had forced the vehicle to the side of the road then smashed the window as it was being revved ‘furiously’ and they feared it might make off.

Ashraf was bailed by police and four months later was stopped in a taxi where he was found to have 45 wraps of heroin worth £450 on the streets.

Officers recovered a total of £1,100 cash from Ashraf, who claimed he was getting free cocaine for being a runner for suppliers, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The defendant, of Frederick Street, Accrington, admitted two charges of possessing heroin with intent to supply, last September 12 and on January 27 Nick Dearing, defending, said Ashraf was realistic and blamed nobody but himself for his predicament.

He had started going to nightclubs in Manchester at the weekend, began to abuse cocaine and became friendly with cocaine suppliers.

The solicitor continued: “They prevailed upon him to deliver drugs for them in return for free cocaine.”