TWO men and a woman worked as a team to "run a shop for drugs" from a house in the middle of Selby, a jury heard.

The house, in Millgate, was put under 24-hour police observation for five days in December last year, the court was told.

On the last of the five days, police moved in, and arrested Errol Thackray, 36, and Ruth Golton, 30, both of Percy Street, Goole, and Andrew McIntee, 37, of Brackenhill Avenue, Brayton.

All three appeared at York Crown Court yesterday and denied charges of heroin dealing.

David Bradshaw, prosecuting, said that Thackray was the "man who had the wit and skill to organise the (drug dealing) operation".

Golton provided the premises for the three to deal from, Mr Bradshaw said, and acted as treasurer for the three, while he described McIntee as "the runner".

Mr Bradshaw said: "On Monday, December 11 last year two police officers were watching the house.

"They saw 11 people call at the premises between 9.54am and 12.41pm that day, people who for the most part never went in or stayed for more than a few seconds, and then disappeared.

"This is typical for people calling to buy something like drugs."

Eight people called at the house between 9.54am and 12.58pm on December 12, five on December 13, ten on December 14 and 15 on December 15, Mr Bradshaw said.

Describing the day police decided to make the arrests, Mr Bradshaw said the first person the officers confronted was McIntee.

He said: "They arrested him first, outside the house. He had two wraps (of drugs) in his hand, but as soon as he saw the police he swallowed them.

"He also had a key. He couldn't swallow that, and the officers took it and used it to enter the house.

"They saw the other two defendants sitting there. In front of them were more drugs, cash and a set of scales."

Mr Bradshaw then described how the officers searched the house, and found other items "closely connected with drugs".

He added: "There were lists of people who owed money for drugs. There was £650 cash. There were six boxes of food bags, boxes of foil, and other financial documents."

Mr Bradshaw said McIntee had told police part of the reason people were visiting was they were delivering meat.

They were also repaying money to Thackray, who had lent them it, he said.

The jury were then shown an edited version of the police video, in which various people could be seen entering and leaving the defendant's premises.

Updated: 14:46 Tuesday, December 11, 2001