A London gang sent more than 45,000 messages as they flooded a Norfolk town with danger drugs crack cocaine and heroin, a court heard.

Norwich Crown Court heard the gang 'heavily depended' on the texts to advertise their illicit goods across Great Yarmouth for more than a year.

The 'Deano' phone line was used by the county lines conspiracy to target known drug users, Duncan O'Donnell told the jury at the start of the trial of the six defendants.

He said the conspiracy, which took place between May 2017 and June 2018, was 'heavily dependent on the use of mobile phones to contact each other and to advertise the availability of their wares'.

He said the phone use was tracked using phone masts in the area and said that William Donkoh. 36, from London, played a leading role in the conspiracy.

He said Donkoh was in charge of the mobile phone number which acted as the main drugs line and was observed topping up a mobile phone near his home in Hackney, which was then used to send out mass texts from the Deano line.

He said some of the messages referred to 'best of both', which he said meant that cocaine and heroin was on sale.

Mr O'Donnell said Sebastian Arenas-Valencia, 20, from Hackney, was involved in 'management and enforcement' and he was sent to stay in Great Yarmouth.

He said that Glonar Thomas 19, from Hackney, was another manager who was involved in providing drugs to the runners to sell in Great Yarmouth. He said Glonar's DNA was found on the wrapping of some of the drugs seized.

Mr O'Donnell told the jury: 'This case involves a lengthy police investigation into the illicit trade in heroin and crack cocaine in Great Yarmouth.'

He said the undercover police operation codenamed Kimball uncovered an extensive network in which drugs were brought from East London and distributed and sold in Great Yarmouth.

Donkoh, of Brooksby's Walk, Hackney, Tatjana Reinis, 40, of Rodney Road, Great Yarmouth, Ian Starkings, 38, of Pottergate, Norwich, Thomas, 19, from London, Irina Rasimovic, 31, of no fixed address and Arenas-Valencia, 20, from Wick Road, Hackney, have all denied two counts of conspiracy to supply a Class A drug in Great Yarmouth between May 1, 2017 and June 27, 2018.

The trial continues.