A drug user who admitted heroin dealing to fund his habit has been jailed for five years.

Pushwinder Bharaj's barrister revealed that at its peak his client was using £200 of the illegal Class A drug a day.

Giles Bridge said it was no surprise that the 25-year-old built up large debts and he started supplying heroin to pay them off.

In March last year drugs squad officers swooped on Bharaj's home in Sandford Road, Bradford Moor, and seized heroin with a street value of £2,800.

Prosecutor John Winteler said when Bharaj was questioned he claimed it was for his own personal use.

It was not until February that he pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing the heroin with intent to supply. Mr Winteler told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that by then the police had visited his home again.

In January another raid resulted in officers seizing heroin and six wraps with street value of £1,500.

The court heard that the two raids also netted cash totalling £3,546 and Judge Robert Taylor made an order that the money should be used by the police to tackle drugs crime.

When Bharaj was quizzed again following the January raid he confessed to officers that he had been selling heroin.

Bharaj, whose previous convictions were for the simple possession of drugs, also admitted offences of possessing heroin with intent to supply and supplying the drug in relation to the police search in January.

Mr Bridge said his client accepted that a custodial sentence was inevitable.