A DRUG dealer who tried to set up an Oxford-wide drugs operation out of his London base has been jailed.

Michael Adesanmi, of Woodberry Grove, London, admitted the four counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply as well as one count of possession of cannabis.

Oxford Crown Court heard at his sentencing on Friday how the 22-year old had come to Oxford on a 'county lines' drug operation in a bid to set up stock from a house in Littlemore.

Police first rumbled the drug dealer after investigating an address at St Nicholas Road, Littlemore, Oxford, on an unrelated matter on December 17 last year.

They discovered Adesanmi inside in possession of a number of mobile phones featuring text messages synonymous with drug dealing as well as a spliff nestled behind his ear and £1,050 in cash.

Initially giving a fake name to officers he was arrested and on subsequent examination an x-ray revealed that he had ingested a much bigger haul of drugs.

After a continuous watch on Adesanmi by police, the court heard, the drug dealer eventually 'passed' a cache of drugs made up of 25 wraps of cocaine and 29 wraps of heroin.

Police also went on to search his London address and discovered yet more drugs including 124 wraps of cocaine and 274 wraps of heroin.

In mitigation, Ronan McCann said that his client, who had previously been jailed for drug dealing in 2014, had tried to make the most of his time out of prison by gaining professional qualifications in construction.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Ross said: "You had come to Oxford for the sole purpose of trading drugs. There is no doubt that you were part of a county lines operation.

"You need to understand that these courts will pass significant and deterrent sentences."

Adesanmi was jailed for a total of five years for the five counts and must pay a victim surcharge. The £1,050 was also made forfeit and the drugs will be destroyed.