DETECTIVES have helped put behind bars a drug dealer who repeatedly brought heroin to York.

York Crown Court heard how addict Nigel Stewart Flint was recruited to act as a warehouseman for Carl Russell Anson.

Police uncovered Anson's three stashes near the outer ring road, amounting to nearly a kilo of the drug.

Michael Smith, prosecuting, said Flint, 30, bagged heroin at his home at Poppleton Gatehouse in return for free fixes.

The addict gave police details of his work for Anson, 44, and led police to a fourth stash of heroin containing 54 wraps with nearly 40g of the drug.

Friends of Anson shouted abuse at Flint as he was led down to start a three-and-a-half year jail sentence.

Flint's friend, Louisa Jo Novis, 22, of Rougier Street, York, is still on the run.

Anson, of Albert Road, Morley, Leeds, and Flint, of Poppleton Gatehouse, Millgate, York, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply heroin between July 11 and October 21, 2000.

The prosecution accepted that Flint's part in the crime only included the last three weeks.

Co-accused Novis pleaded guilty to possessing heroin. She skipped bail when she should have been sentenced with the men at an earlier hearing in Leeds.

At that hearing, Mr Smith said police had watched and videoed Anson's movements between July and October 2000 as he visited three areas near York using a variety of cars.

"Very often, after visiting the sites, he would be seen visiting various premises in York," Mr Smith added.

In mid-October, police followed Anson to two of his drug stashes and after he left, they uncovered 698g of heroin behind the Buckles Inn, Askham Richard, and 196g of heroin in a small lane off the A1237 ring road. They also unearthed his third stash at a gateway alongside Askham Lane.

He was arrested near the Buckles Inn with £569 in cash, electronic scales and other drugs paraphernalia.

At York, Anson's barrister, Paul Greaney, said his legal team needed time to gather evidence for his "substantial mitigation" and his case was adjourned.

Judge Paul Hoffman told Flint: "You were not making any money out of it, you were doing it so for free fixes, being a long-term heroin addict."

Flint's barrister, David Bradshaw, said his client had done what he could to assist the police.

Updated: 09:22 Saturday, January 26, 2002