A young man from Oldham who went back to deal drugs twice after being arrested had been jailed for more than three years.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard Haseeb Ahmed was first found dealing drugs in September 2019.

The 21-year-old was spotted by officers on Cherry Avenue in Oldham driving a car which appeared to carry out a drug deal.

They took note of the vehicle and two days later they spotted it and when they approach detected a strong smell of cannabis.

A search of the vehicle found a number of class A drugs as well as seven mobile phones.

Ahmed was released under investigation but spotted again the following January on Frederick Street in a vehicle.

He fled when the police approach and discarded a number of items and was detained and found to have snap bags on him.

Once again he was released under investigation but in June last year police carried out a warrant at his house.

He was found to have cannabis and a phone which he had desperately tried to remove the sim card from revealed he had been involved in supplying drugs.

Prosecutor Saul Brody revealed the quantities of drugs involved.

He said of the first offence: “There was 2.05 grams of cocaine, valued at £82.

“There was crack cocaine of 6.27 grams, valued at £641, diamorphine of 5.845 grams valued at £584, 11.92 grams of cannabis valued at £122.”

He said after the second arrest Haseeb was found to have £450 in cash and “three grams of heroin valued at between £221 and 295, 4.63 grams of crack cocaine, valued at £415.”

Judge Mark Savill expressed a disbelief that Haseeb had gone on to reoffend, asking “what was he doing?”

Representing Haseeb, of Frederick Street in Oldham, defence counsel Andrew Marsh said: “He is an extremely naïve and foolish young man.

“He has a cannabis problem.”

He said that debts from this had led him into the supply of other drugs.

Imposing a sentence, the judge said: “If anybody says that smoking cannabis is harmless they need really to be here today to see the predicament you get yourself into.”

He jailed him for three years and eight months.