A pair of teenage drug dealers described as persistent offenders by police have been jailed.

Marcus Ireland and Andrei Gantz were first arrested after officers were called to Millmead Road in Margate.

Ireland, 18, was found to be carrying cocaine when he was searched as he left a flat.

Inside the property, 19-year-old Gantz was discovered with a mobile phone that contained messages referring to drug deals.

A month later - on February 14, 2019 - he dumped four wraps of heroin and cocaine on the ground when he saw officers in St John's Road, Margate.

At the time of the offences, Ireland was on a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), which had been given to him by a judge in 2018, which ordered him not to go out between 8.30pm and 7am for two years.

He was in breach of the CBO when he was involved in a disturbance in The Broadway, Broadstairs, at 10pm on Saturday, December 14.

During a hearing at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday, Ireland was jailed for three years and Gantz was sentenced to a year in prison.

Formerly of Margate, Gantz had pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply and two charges of offering to supply a class A drug.

Meanwhile, Ireland, who is from Broadstairs, admitted three drugs charges, affray and breach of a CBO.

DC Rebecca Mross said: "Ireland and Gantz are persistent offenders who had not been discouraged from criminal activity by previous interventions by police and the courts.

"Kent Police is determined to disrupt and shut down drug networks in the county and I hope the custodial sentences in this case deter others from getting involved."

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