A Sheringham man who continued to deal cannabis despite repeated arrests has been jailed for 20 months.

Dean Cope, 31, pleaded guilty to three drugs offences at Norwich Crown Court on February 23.

After a tip-off, police raided a property in Knight's Green in Sheringham on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, finding cannabis resin and herbal cannabis with a street value of between £736 and £888.

They also seized items including £420 in cash, phones, a tablet and a shrink wrap machine.

Cope was arrested for possession of cannabis with intent to supply and interviewed, when he claimed most of the cannabis seized had its psychoactive element, called THC, removed and was therefore "legal".

He said he kept some cannabis in its original state for his own use and removed the THC from the rest, but later lab tests showed all of the drug found contained THC.

A young woman at the property was found with 1.22 grams of herbal cannabis, so Cope was also charged with supplying cannabis to a youth.

But even after this arrest police continued to get intelligence about cannabis being supplied from the same address, so they carried out a second raid on June 12, 2019. Officers seized herbal cannabis with a street value of around £115.

Cope said he made edible jellies, cookies and butters from the drug and was arrested for possession with the intent to supply.

But Cope was arrested again on July 9 last year after police heard he was continuing to deal cannabis, despite his two previous arrests. A search of his home revealed cannabis with a street value of between £693 to £924.

PC Ian Smith, beat manager at Sheringham, said: "We are pleased that Cope has been given a prison sentence and hope it sends out the message that we will take drug dealing very seriously and target those who supply in our areas."

Cope was sentenced to 16 months and 12 months for two counts of possession with intent to supply Class B (cannabis) and eight months for supply of a Class B drug to be served concurrently. One count of possession with intent to supply and supplying a controlled drug was ordered to be left on file. He has already served time on remand awaiting sentencing for the offences.