A phone holder for a drugs gang exploited two 15-year-old boys by sending them to Norwich with stocks of heroin and crack cocaine.

Prince Dwomoh, 22, from London, was the holder of the phone for the Marlow line which supplied class A drugs in the city, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Isobel Ascherson, prosecuting, said Dwomoh, who lived in North London, took over managing the phone line after the previous holder was jailed for drugs offences.

Ms Ascherson said the set-up was a classic county lines operation with bulk text messages being sent out to hundreds of numbers to get orders in for the drugs which were supplied from London.

She said that Dwomoh had sent the two teenagers to Norwich with drug supplies but they were both arrested and drugs and cash seized. One of the youths was carrying a knife.

Me Ascherson said Dwomoh was arrested in London in April.

Dwomoh, who appeared over a link from Wormwood Scrubs, admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs between December 2019 and April 9, 2020.

Jailing him for four years, Judge Katharine Moore said he had operated the dealer line with some element of sophistication as he contacted local dealers with bulk adverts and texts.

She said it was more serious as he had used children to transport the drugs.

Judge Moore said the exploitation of the teenagers made it more serious and said he played a significant role.

She added that the authorities should look to where Dwomoh lived on his release so that if he did want to break away from crime he could.

Joe Hingston, for Dwomoh, said he was only 21 when he got involved in managing the phone line and said it was just for short period for five months and he was low level in the operation.

He said while on remand Dwomoh had engaged with help to improve his prospects on his release.

One 15 year-old who was arrested in Norwich has been sent to the youth court to be dealt with and the other given a 12-month referral order.