DRUG dealer Darren Lazarus has been jailed for five years after he was caught peddling heroin and crack cocaine across Swindon.

The 24-year-old was found with thousands of pounds worth of drugs on him as he cruised around in a hired Mercedes.

And after magistrates released him on bail, Lazarus, who was banned from driving, led police on a dangerous high-speed chase.

Ian Halliday, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that in April last year police suspected Lazarus was selling drugs so were watching him.

On April 5 they saw a Mercedes being driven by his girlfriend, Stacey Hayward, pull up outside The Plough pub, near Chiseldon, and stop close to another car.

Officers stopped Lazarus and searched the car. They found 28.3 grams of heroin with a street value of £1,415 and 13.5 grams of crack cocaine, worth £1,350.

When they looked in his jacket pocket, as well as £405 in cash, they found seven individual wraps of crack cocaine weighing 1.78 grams and worth £180.

Mr Halliday said: "He made admissions to the police about being the owner of all of the drugs found in the car and the jacket pocket," he said.

"He purchased the heroin for £700 and the crack for £500 wholesale and hoped to sell the heroin for about £1,300 and get £900 to £1,000 for the crack cocaine so he hoped to turn a £1,000 profit."

Lazarus had been arrested and served a five-month jail sentence for other driving matters last year and was released on bail by magistrates in February.

He was also banned from the road for three years but the following month he was spotted behind the wheel near the Coate Water roundabout.

Lazarus, of Wolsley Avenue, Park South, admitted three counts of possessing drugs with intent to supply as well as dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance. Hayward, 25, of Syon Close, Abbey Meads, had been charged with two counts of possessing drugs with intent to supply but the matters were left to lie on the file after she pleaded not guilty.

Carolyn Lucocq, defending, said that her client had got into the grip of drugs in January last year and was selling them as a way of funding his habit.

As well as debts to dealers, she said he had £1,100 of rent arrears to the council and said that any luxury items found were in Hayward's home.

Jailing him, Judge Tom Longbotham said: "You were purchasing drugs, intending to turn over these drugs, making a substantial profit.

"That is the sort of offence which will be visited by a substantial term of imprisonment."

As well as jailing him for five years, he banned him from the road for three years and ordered that he take an extended test before getting his licence back.

He also ordered that he forfeit the £405 found on him and a further £70 found at his home and recommended he go on a drug rehabilitation requirement and think first programme.