A drug dealer who ran a county lines drug network from his prison cell has been given a further seven years in jail.

Police say Scott Anthony, 29, ran a line which supplied drugs out of Watford into the Thames Valley area.

It was discovered after officers from Thames Valley stopped a vehicle in November 2020 and found the driver to be in possession of crack cocaine and heroin.

Along with the Class A drugs, the driver had a mobile phone on him linked to the Capo county line.

Police were able to recover messages on the phone which traced to a number belonging to a prisoner at The Mount in Bovingdon.

A search was carried out of Anthony's cell and a phone used to run the drug network was found.

Anthony, who was already serving seven years for drug offences, was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and of being in possession of a prohibited item (phone) in prison at St Albans Crown Court on March 11 of this year.

Ten days later, he was jailed for an extra seven years and six months.

Detective Sergeant Jon Leak, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Operation Mantis team, said: "The disruption of this line will make a significant impact on drugs use and associated crime in the region. It also sends a clear message that drug dealing will not go unpunished and anyone involved will be caught and jailed.

"Exploitation of vulnerable people is just one of the tragic symptoms of organised drug gangs. County Lines dealers can coerce people into providing a base for dealers to operate or to act as distributors themselves.

"They often use young people to handle drugs and money, drawing them deeper into gang affiliation that often leads to violence and abuse."