A drug addict who held a drug line in Lowestoft has been jailed for 40 months.

Before Ipswich Crown Court on Friday was 34-year-old Nicky Bates, of no fixed address, who admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin between March 28 and April 14 this year.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said police officers linked Bates to the drug line from messages on drug users’ phones.

He said the drug line had sent out bulk advertising messages and officers were able to link Bates to the line because he’d been “less than careful” at restricting his use of the line to business.

Andrew Thompson, for Bates, said his client was a “substantial” drug user and had become involved in the supply of drugs to finance his habit.

He said that when Bates had been released from custody he was drawn back to the same group of people he’d mixed with in the past and had fallen back into drug use.

Mr Thompson said that since being in custody Bates had sought help for his drug problem.