A drug dealer has been jailed after being stopped in a car park with cocaine wrapped in lottery tickets and a total of 55g of the drug.

Danny Hicks, 32, of London Road, Brandon, appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday 22 July where he received two years for possession with intent to supply cocaine and three years for possession with intent to supply cocaine, to run consecutively.

He received two years for possession with intent to supply cocaine, to run concurrently.

At around 7.20pm on Thursday 16 July 2019, officers saw Hicks driving in Clayhill Road, Basildon.

The vehicle was linked to drug dealing and it pulled into KFC carpark in Pitsea. 

An Essex Police spokesman said: "We found a packet of sweets containing lottery tickets filled with cocaine and a ball of cocaine. We believe Hicks was preparing wraps of cocaine in his car before he looked to sell them in our communities. 

"Three days later, we executed a warrant at an address in Cherrydown East, Basildon, after having our suspicions that Hicks was still involved in drug activity.

"We found varying amounts of cocaine throughout the property and Hicks was once again detained."

He was released under investigation following both arrests and on Friday 27 September he was arrested a third time in Hoover Drive, Laindon.

He was found in a vehicle that was stopped by police containing phones that kept ringing.

Hicks was also found in possession of a large sum of cash.

Police carried out a search of a property and found cut lottery tickets, scales, other items associated with the preparation of drugs.

A total of 55 grammes of cocaine was seized from Hicks following his arrests.

DC Natalie Backhouse, of Basildon CID, said: “Hicks continued his drug dealing ways despite knowing he was under investigation by our officers in CID and Op Raptor South.

“However, his actions just meant he received even more time locked in prison.

“We continued to make his life difficult by arresting him, by seizing his equipment, cash and drugs and by carrying out our enquiries into him.

“I’m sure Hicks will now have peace of mind in his prison cell knowing he won’t be bothered by our teams.

“Let this case be a message to other drug dealers, we won’t stop until you are removed off our streets and put before a court.”