A DRUG dealer who tried to flee from police but was too high to make a successful getaway has been jailed for dealing heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis.

Basildon Crown Court heard officers were patrolling Southend town centre when they heard on their radio a group of men were involved in a drug deal in Queens Road.

As the officers headed toward the men, 23-year-old Ryan Henry-Scharschmidt dropped a cannabis joint and began to run away from the officers.

The police gave chase and when they caught up with Henry-Scharschmidt they searched him and found several wraps of the class A drugs heroin and crack cocaine in his bag.

They also found cannabis in his pocket, £255 in cash and two mobile phones linking him to drug supply.

Henry-Scharschmidt, of Silver End, Witham was arrested and charged with two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and possessing a class B drug.

He admitted all the charges when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court and was jailed for two years and six months.

Following the sentencing, a spokesman for the Southend Operation Raptor team said: “Our officers are always on the lookout for those criminals who think they can deal drugs on the streets of our county.

“As this case shows, our officers proactively hunt down those individuals who are responsible, arrest them and put them behind bars where they belong.

“We would continue to urge the community to be our eyes and ears and report drug or gang-related issues in their community to us.”

He was caught on July 9.

Essex Police set up Operation Raptor teams in the north, south and west of the county to tackle drug and gang-related crime across the county.

They are tasked with raiding suspected drug dens and stopping the supply of drugs into the area by fighting back against those responsible.

If you have information or you are concerned about drug and gang-related crime in your community call Essex Police on 101.

Alternatively, you can contact independent crimefighting charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111.

You can also share information online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online.