TWO brothers who sold drugs at venues across the city, including the infamous "Splash Palace" have been handed jail terms totaling more than five years.

Lee and Christopher Bossons used the public toilets in Parliament Street, one of their homes and a bridge near the city centre to carry out their illegal trade, said prosecutor Alan Mitcheson at York Crown Court. They are the latest to end up behind bars as a result of Operation Holland, the massive police sting last year to drive drug dealing off the streets of York.

"The serious aspect here is that the two of you were observed dealing in heroin right in the city centre here in York," Judge Stephen Ashurst told the brothers. "That sort of antisocial behaviour is to be discouraged."

Lee Bossons, 32, of Grosvenor Terrace, Clifton, pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying heroin and Christopher Bossons, 28, of Woolnough Avenue, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying heroin.

Each was jailed for two-and-a-half years and Christopher Bossons was also ordered to serve an extra six months because he was on licence from a four-and-a-half year sentence for robbery at the time. Mr Mitcheson said undercover police officers posed as drug addicts in the first half of last year.

One, known only as "Neil", witnessed the younger brother dealing in heroin at the "Splash Palace" to other users and bought a wrap from him.

"Neil" was also taken to Lee Bossons' flat for another drug deal with Christopher Bossons, and both he and a second officer called "Jono" bought from Lee Bossons close to a bridge on Grosvenor Terrace. Neil Clarke, for Christopher Bossons, said his client had started using heroin when he was 14 and it had "riddled" his life with problems. He had managed to come off the drug while serving part of the robbery sentence, but he had gone back on heroin when his partner lost a child to adoption.

Ian Mullarkay, for Lee Bossons, said he had been on heroin for 14 years. He had managed to hold down a job at Nestlé until restructuring made him redundant.