A cocaine dealer who sent hundreds of bulk text messages a week advertising his wares has been jailed.

Billy Smith operated a criminal network covering spanning west Kent

He is now starting a three-year sentence after police dismantled his supply chain by analysing vast quantities of mobile phone data.

Between May 6 and June 23, officers investigated suspicious activity linked to an unregistered pay-as-you-go SIM.

The phone was found to be sending more than 60 bulk text messages a day, advertising cocaine and cannabis to drug users.

Detectives also analysed replies from prospective customers concerning amounts, prices, and meeting points at which money and drugs could be exchanged.

Smith was identified as the suspect and on June 23 his home in Old Road, East Peckham, was raided and the 39-year-old was arrested.

However, the phone being used to make deals was not found during searches.

Despite this, detectives were able to find further evidence linking the line to Smith. A number of the messages referred to ‘Bill’ and locations to meet sometimes included the letters EP, referring to East Peckham.

The investigation by the Tonbridge Community Policing Team also showed that Smith’s personal phone was often in the same location as where the deal phone appeared to be activating.

On one occasion, analysis of data even matched the location of the deal phone to Medway Magistrates’ Court, on the same day Smith had attended a hearing for a traffic offence.

Smith was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday.

Leading the investigation was PC Molly Irwin, who said: "Smith is a repeat offender, who despite previous convictions and prison sentences appears to have no intention of changing his ways.

"He was arrested as a result of a diligent and meticulous investigation into a phone line, which proved beyond any doubt that he was operating a criminal network covering areas across west Kent.

"We been able to successfully dismantle what was an extensive drugs supply chain and ultimately this has prevented a significant number of drugs from being distributed onto the streets."