A CHORLEY drug dealer had been sentenced to five years four months in prison.

Lee Anthony Gowan, 32,  of Lydgate, Chorley, admitted possession with intent to supply class A controlled drugs.

Officers from the West Lancashire Target Team and Chorley intelligence Unit stopped Gowan, on October 31 at 5.30pm when he was using a using a garage on Hodder Avenue, Chorley.

He initially attempted to flee from officers however was quickly arrested.

After searches, Gowan was found with a quantity of high purity cocaine with a potential street value of £7000, a set of digital scales and a quantity of cash.

Officers then carried out a search of the garage which Gowan was using and located a hydraulic press within which is believed Gowan had been using to cut up and press the cocaine.

Gowan was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, charged and remanded.

Upon investigating Gowan officers identified text messages on his phone which showed he got large quantities of drugs from outside of the county before supplying this to street level drug dealers in and around Chorley.

On Friday 15th March 2019 Gowan plead guilty at court to possession with intent to supply class A controlled drugs.

He was sentenced at Preston crown court to 5 years 4 months imprisonment and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170 and the cash which was found on him at the time of arrest forfeited.

A spokesperson for West Lancs Target Team said: “This sentence goes to show that with the help of the local community Lancashire police can and will target those people who pose the most risk and threat to our area.

"Lee Gowan was significantly involved in the supply and distribution of large quantities of class A drugs in the Chorley area.

"We will continue to proactively target those people within our community who are involved in this type of criminality.”