A drug dealer who shipped large amounts of heroin into Peterborough has been jailed for 12 years.

Joseph Fox, 31, was the head of a supply chain which saw the class A drugs being moved to Peterborough from Bradford.

He then organised the drugs to be stashed in a flat in Palmerston Road, Woodston, where they would be pushed out to a network of street dealers.

Detectives raided the flat on August 1, last year and discovered a kilo of heroin with a street value of more than £100,000.

Fox’s right hand man, Daniel Blades, 26, was also in the flat and was arrested. Officers searched his home in Meadenvale, Parnwell, and seized cannabis, debt sheets, scales and other drug paraphernalia.

Officers also carried out a warrant at Fox’s home address in Century Square. Debt sheets and a number of mobile phones were seized.

Fox and Blades both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Fox was jailed for 12 years at Peterborough Crown Court on Tuesday (February 4) while Blades was locked up for nine-and-a-half years.

A third man, Jason Smith, 32, of London Road, Peterborough, was jailed for five years after pleading guilty to the supply of class A drugs. The court heard he was a street dealer for Fox.

Detective Constable Rebecca Goodey said: “Fox was orchestrating the movement of a huge amount of heroin into Peterborough which was then being passed to street dealers.

“The use and supply of drugs such as heroin fuel other crime.

“Both Fox and Blades were set to make a significant amount of money from their dealings which ultimately would bring misery to the city.

“This case should show how seriously the police and courts take such offending.”