MEMBERS of a county lines gang which supplied crack cocaine and heroin to Flintshire communities have been jailed.

Six out of seven of the organised criminal group appeared before Mold Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.

Matthew Curtis, prosecuting, told the court the seven were involved in the conspiracy to supply the class A drugs from Merseyside to North Wales between July 2017 to February this year.

The operation "followed the county lines model," Mr Curtis explained, in that it saw phones used to advertise available drugs and the substances then delivered to customers via dealers.

In this case the drugs - cocaine and heroin - were distributed by dealers on the streets of Flint, Bagillt and Holywell.

Throughout the duration of the conspiracy, the group changed the phone used for the advertising and selling of drugs eight times - as well as using stolen vehicles with cloned license plates to avoid detection by police.

A "safe house" where drugs and money were kept was set up in Bagillt and members of the group were observed coming and going by covert police surveillance.

The court heard how operations had continued even after the group became aware it was under scrutiny.

First to be sentenced was 28-year-old Ryan Hamid, of Sanderling Road in Kirkby - described as the "man at the top" of the operation who was also known by the nicknames 'Ste' and 'Ste Badger'.

Charles Lander, defending, said he did not dispute his client was "the leading individual" in the organisation.

"He has a previous conviction of note in July 2015 for the possession of cocaine," he said. "By the beginning of January 2016 this defendant was using a staggering amount of cocaine per week - such an amount that it led to him making an attempt on his own life.

"Mr Hamid says he was still regrettably still using cocaine and in debt - which is why he involved himself in this operation."

Mr Lander said despite his role, Hamid hadn't been "living the life" and "just had to carry on working."

He added the 28-year-old's biggest regret will be being away from his family, his second child being born just a few weeks ago.

Recorder Simon Mills told Hamid: "There's no shred of evidence you were being directed by your co-accused or any other - you were running your own organised criminal group.

"You had a large customer base, which you exploited for your own greed."

The court heard how messages advertising the crack cocaine and heroin were sent out on a a regular basis to drug users in North Wales, some of whom had replied to beg for the group to stop offering the substances as they were trying to stop using them.

Hamid was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

His "right hand man", 26-year-old James Morris of Hadleigh Road in Kirkby, organised the trade of drugs on a "commercial scale" the court heard.

He was also entrusted to run the phone line when Hamid was away on holiday and was described by Recorder Mills as a "lynchpin" and a "key link" in the conspiracy between Merseyside and North Wales.

Owen Edwards, defending Morris, said his client had expressed deep remorse at having involved his partner Beth Parker in the conspiracy, as well as the impact on his children - whom he had aimed to support by making money in "the quickest way" he could. Beth Parker is to be sentenced at a later date.

Morris was jailed for six years and three months.

Wade Doolan, aged 28 and of Elizabeth Road in Liverpool, was involved in the conspiracy for about two months, the court heard.

He was described as a "local representative" and dealer for the group and had lived at the Bagillt home of fellow conspirator Stuart Ashton.

Ben Jones, defending Doolan, said: "He's a man of previously good character ans has always been in employment.

"But in the years leading up to this, he and his partner had a premature child and he came out of work, spending the next nine months in and out of hospital. "He ran up huge debts in the form of payday loans and fell to the temptation of easy money in this enterprise."

He was jailed for four years and three months.

Sean Baxter, aged 54 and of Panton Place in Holywell, was involved for a "limited period" and his involvement was "akin to street dealing" the court was told.

Before jailing him for three years and six months, Recorder Mills told him: "You were a person addicted to the products of this conspiracy. "You were persuaded to supply its products and participate for a brief period of three weeks or a month. "What you were doing was helping others in a vulnerable position like yourself to remain addicted and dependant on heroin and crack cocaine."

Stuart Ashton, aged 45 and of High Street in Bagillt, was described as a "loyal customer" of the conspiracy who decided to help by providing his home to the group to use as a base.

The property was searched and police officers found heroin, crack cocaine, cash and phones - one of which was found to have been used to send out the bulk messages to customers.

Myles Wilson, defending Ashton, said: "For the vast majority of the conspiracy he was a customer and become involved towards the end."

Ashton was jailed for four years and six months.

Daniel Delaney, aged 29 and of Twll Twm in Bagillt, was also sentenced in respect of his involvement in the conspiracy, as well as offences of dangerous driving and affray.

Philip Clemo, defending Delaney, told the court is client had been a "slave" to the class A drugs he had been selling and that he'd been involved for the limited time of about a month.

For the three offences, Recorder Mills handed Delaney a total sentence of five years imprisonment.