A drugs gang which brought heroin and crack cocaine from London to peddle on the streets of Norwich have been jailed for a total of 11 years.

It comes after it was revealed more than half of drug dealing groups using 'county lines' in Norfolk are targeting the city, according to police intelligence.

Richard Potts, prosecuting at Norwich Crown Court, said the gang was arrested after observations by police over a 90-day period between March and June, in 2017, in an operation codenamed Cultivate.

Mr Potts described David Teixeira, from London, who is 19 but was only 17 at the time, as being the 'branch manager' and said he helped transport the drugs from London to Norwich.

Jack Parrish, 26, of Throckmorton Yard, Norwich, was said to have been the most heavily involved local drug user as he carried out street dealing on a regular basis.

Tara Kelf, 35, allowed her flat in Suffolk Square to be used as a base to deal drugs and also acted as a driver to pick up the drugs, as a way to feed her own habit.

Parrish, Kelf, and Teixeira all admitted conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and Parish was jailed for five years and Kelf was jailed for three years. Teixeira was given three years detention in a young offender's institution.

A fourth defendant, Angela Davey, 38, who had been living in a camper van at the time of her arrest, was also due to be sentenced after pleading guilty to supplying Class A but she failed to turn up at court and is wanted by police.

Sentencing, Judge Katharine Moore said the trio had all played a 'significant' role in the operation and that although there were no continuous observations, there was evidence that the phone line used to peddle the drugs had sent out bulk text messages to hundreds of users.

She said Kelf and Teixeira were arrested on the A11 at Besthorpe as they were bringing more drug supplies to Norwich and Teixeira was found to have crack cocaine with a street value of £5,000.

Jonathan Goodman, for Kelf, said she had a full-time career until she got involved in Class A drugs which led her into getting drawn into the operation.

Mr Goodman said at one point when she tried to stop others using her flat she was badly beaten and said she had been vulnerable at the time.

He said she was now free of drugs and living with her family and doing voluntary work.

Gavin Cowe, for Teixeira, who was 17 at the time, said he was a 'courier' bringing drugs to Norwich.

Mark Roochove, for Parrish, said that he had become addicted to heroin but had now kicked his addiction and had made good use of his time on remand.