A drug dealer who dropped a Kinder Egg casing filled with heroin and crack cocaine as he ran from officers in Clacton-on-Sea has been jailed for 54 months.

Billy Johnson, 19, was spotted getting out of a car with two others at Clacton-on-Sea station on Wednesday, September 1 when he began wandering around the car park making phone calls.

As officers from the British Transport Police approached Johnson, of Cluny Square, Southend-on-Sea, he fled – only making it a short distance across the car park before they caught up with him.

A small amount of cannabis and a burner phone were seized, it was also discovered that he was wanted for questioning in connection with another offence. He was subsequently arrested and taken to police custody.

When officers searched the station car park, they found an orange Kinder Egg case containing individual wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

CCTV footage from the car park showed the item falling from Johnson’s person as he ran away.

Officers analysed the information contained on Johnson’s burner phone, which revealed messages being sent to a large number of recipients offering heroin and crack cocaine.

Johnson appeared in front of Chelmsford Crown Court on September 30 where he pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and one count of possession of Class B drugs.

On Tuesday, October 26 he was sentenced to a total of four years and six months imprisonment.

Detective inspector, Graham Moss, said: “Identifying dealers and bringing them to justice is crucial in stopping harmful drugs reaching our communities.

“A huge amount of credit must go to the fleet-footed officers who not only used their professional curiosity to engage with Johnson but stopped him before he could make off.

“We have teams working round the clock across England, Scotland and Wales dedicated to disrupting County Lines criminal activity.

"I would urge anyone on the railway who spots something that doesn’t look right to report it to us by texting 61016.”