A convicted drug dealer has been jailed for a total of seven years after he was arrested three times by the Bradford District Drugs Team.

Ian Masser was sent to prison for five years in May 2002 for drugs offences, but following his release a year ago he was repeatedly caught dealing on the streets.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said officers from the drugs team first swooped on Masser, 35, in April this year when a drug user approached his car.

Officers used their own vehicles to block in Masser and when his car was searched they found three mobile phones and £170.

During an interview Masser said he had got into debt and had been dealing in heroin and crack cocaine for three months. He said he would receive calls on his mobile phone and then be directed to locations where he would supply customers,'' said Mr Ahmed.

Masser was given police bail pending further inquiries, but three weeks later he was again netted by the drugs team after they saw him dealing to a woman from a Vauxhall Cavalier.

This time police seized heroin and crack cocaine valued at more than £500.

Despite his activities he was then granted court bail, but in June drugs team officers swooped again as Masser tried to supply drugs in the Haycliffe Road area.

Masser told officers that he had been dealing again for the past two weeks and was earning £700 a day for his supplier.

He said he was supplying Class A drugs to repay his own drug debt and to fund his own addiction.

Masser, of Pembroke Street, West Bowling, Bradford, admitted charges of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine in relation to his dealing between April and May. He also pleaded guilty to further charges of being concerned in the supply of both Class A drugs and supplying heroin and crack cocaine arising out of the later incident in June.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC made forfeiture orders in relation to the drugs and money seized from Masser as well as the cars he used for his drug dealing.

The Judge told Masser that he had pleaded guilty to very serious offences and his position was made worse by the fact that he had a previous five-year sentence for drugs offences.

He said Masser had willingly supplied drugs to members of the public who were afflicted by their addiction and he had been disarmingly frank with the police.

Judge Durham Hall jailed Masser for four years on the conspiracy charges with a further three years for the later drugs matters committed in June.