THE mastermind of a drugs gang which tried to put heroin worth £11,500 on the streets has been jailed for more than five years.

The plans of Wayne Anthony Oldfield and his accomplices were foiled when police raided a heroin-processing factory in Tadcaster and swooped on his motorcycle courier en route from the factory to Selby, York Crown Court sitting in Leeds heard.

Describing him as the "top of the pyramid", the Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, said: "This was a very substantial amount of heroin to be involved with and there must be a substantial sentence."

He jailed Oldfield for five years and seven months. Oldfield, 33, of Flaxley Road, Selby, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and being in possession of heroin at his home.

Simon Kealey, prosecuting, said Oldfield had gone to a flat in Harold Hick Court, Tadcaster, where with other gang members, he received heroin weighing just under a quarter of a kilo. It was broken up into one ounce deals and packaged.

Police found scales, clingfilm, plastic bags and other drugs paraphernalia with traces of heroin on them when they raided the flat the same day.

Oldfield had already left when the detectives arrived, but was later arrested, and police found a dealer list at his home.

For Oldfield, Nicholas Carter claimed he was only a packer like the two people who lived at the flat and who are now serving jail terms.

Courier Stuart James Harland, 29, of Bridle Walk, Selby, and packers Robert Edward McLean, 35, and Debbie Simpson, 27, both of Harold Hick Court, Tadcaster, have already been jailed for between three years and four years one month.

A fifth man, alleged to be Oldfield's driver, is wanted on warrant after he failed to attend for an earlier court hearing.

Updated: 11:47 Saturday, March 12, 2005