A DRUG dealer who stashed heroin wraps in Kinder eggs- and swallowed heroin wraps as police closed in on her- has been jailed for three years. Ann Lupton, 44, of March, Cambridgeshire, was spotted bent over in the street by police, who suspected she mi

A DRUG dealer who stashed heroin wraps in Kinder eggs- and swallowed heroin wraps as police closed in on her- has been jailed for three years.

Ann Lupton, 44, of March, Cambridgeshire, was spotted "bent over" in the street by police, who suspected she might be about to embark on a drugs deal, Cambridge Crown Court was told.

Sara Walker, prosecuting, said Lupton tried to run off but was "rugby tackled" to the floor by the officers.

The court heard that during the scuffle, in March, Cambridgeshire, Lupton dropped a Kinder egg on the floor in which 11 wraps of heroin were found.

A mobile phone and �60 cash were seized. A further four wraps of heroin were found in a vehicle at the scene.

When her home address, in St Peter's Road, March, was searched empty Kinder eggs, scales, a sum of cash and wrap of heroin were discovered.

Lupton was arrested and interviewed. She said the 11 wraps "belonged to her".

She said she had bought 30 wraps for �70 - had used some of them and swallowed others when she was approached by officers.

Ms Walker said "highly suggestive" text messages were found on her mobile phone dating back to May 2006. Sixty calls had been made within a space of only 14 hours.

Ms Walker said the street value of the drugs was believed to be in the region of �10 per wrap giving a total of �150.

Steven Gray, mitigating, said although Lupton had been previously convicted of possession with intent to supply relating to crack cocaine in 1992, since then she had been dealt with solely in relation to possession.

Mr Gray said Lupton was "a long standing heroin addict" for more than 20 years.

At a previous hearing Lupton had pleaded guilty to one count of supplying class A controlled drugs, one count of possession of class A controlled drugs with intent and one count of possession of class A controlled drugs.

Judge Jonathan Haworth told her: "You were caught fairly and squarely red-handed dealing class A drugs for cash."

He then sentenced her to three years in prison and said as part of her release conditions she would have to take part in some form of drugs rehabilitation programme.