A MAN who fled police when they stopped his rented car before discovering a mobile 'drugs shop' has denied his role in dealing drugs.

Daniel Carruthers, of Chaucer Road, London, denies two counts of possessing class A drugs, heroin and crack cocaine, with intent and supply, and of possessing a drug of class B, skunk cannabis with intent to supply.

A jury of five men and seven women were sworn in as his trial began at Oxford Crown Court yesterday.

The charges relates to an incident at Lloyd Road, Didcot in which Police Sergeant Graham Pink and Police Constable Leanne Butler were in an unmarked police vehicle on March 28 last year.

They spotted a back Fiat 500 driven by Carruthers together with a female passenger.

They decided to investigate the vehicle and when they approached the car Carruthers got out and immediately ran off before being chased by Sgt Pink.

He eventually caught up with him and on searching the car, which smelled strongly of cannabis the court heard, police discovered a number of 'deal bags' of cannabis stashed inside a Kenco coffee tin.

They were bagged up and ready for sale, the court heard, in what was described by prosecutors as a mobile 'drugs shop.'

After arresting Carruthers and his co-defendant, Amber Hickey who has already pleaded guilty to her role in dealing the drugs, they found a further 1.99g of heroin and 3.11g of crack cocaine.

Carruthers first gave a fake name to police at interview and now denies his part in drug dealing and of being the driver of the vehicle.

The trial continues.