A drug dealer who sold cocaine to an under-cover policeman has been jailed for two years.

Ryan Hare was caught out as part of Operation Renton set up by Merseyside Police in the Birkenhead area.

As well as undercover officers employed to catch out drug dealers a workwear shop was also set up in Oxton Road, Birkenhead, said Kim Egerton, prosecuting.

On May 28 an officer, using the name Phil, was in the Warwick public house when he heard someone ask Hare if he had any cocaine and he indicated he could have some later.

That evening Phil asked him for some cocaine and Hare sold him a bag of cocaine for £40 and gave him his mobile number.

On June 12 Phil sent him a text asking for drugs and they met later and Hare sold him three bags for £100.

Miss Egerton said that on July 20 Phil saw him in the town centre and he said he would have drugs later and Hare went to the workwear shop and sold him a further three bags of the drug.

Police raided Hare’s home on February 10 and was arrested. Electronic scales and bags were found in the premises.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that 24-year-old Hare has a previous conviction for supplying cannabis for which he received a suspended prison sentence.

Hare, of Wernbrook Close, Noctorum, pleaded guilty to three offences of supplying cocaine.

Paul Wood, defending, said that Hare moved with his mum to Birkenhead when he was ten and began smoking cannabis when he was 13 and was using cocaine by the age of 15.

At the time of the offences he was spending £200 cocaine a week and also smoking cannabis.

However he has since made efforts to turn his life around and has been in a positive relationship for five months and his partner has been “keeping him on the straight and narrow,” said Mr Wood.

Jailing him Judge David Aubrey, QC, said, “You have sadly gone down the wrong path in life developing a bad addiction to drugs.”

He added that Hare has turned his life around and taken steps to free himself from drugs.