A man caught drug dealing by Carrow Bridge in Norwich threw a package containing drugs in the river in a bid to get away from police, a court heard.

Nathan Tomkinson, 42, was seen by officers meeting up with a group of people near the bridge but when officers approached Tomkinson he threw a package in the river and tried to run off, Norwich Crown Court was told.

Stephen Spence, prosecuting, said that police managed to arrest Tomkinson and when searched he was found to have 10 wraps of Class A drugs on him and £192 in cash.

When the package was recovered from the river it was discovered to contain more wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

Mr Spence said that when Tomkinson's phone was analysed, police found messages which had directed him where to meet up to carry out drug deals in the city.

He said: "The messages on the phone suggest he is a runner."

The court heard although Tomkinson had a list of 103 previous convictions for 243 offences he had not had any for drug dealing before.

Tomkinson, of no fixed address, who appeared over a link from Norwich Prison, admitted possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply on July 30, and was jailed for 24 months.

Sentencing him, Judge Stephen Holt accepted Tomkinson had a long-standing problem with drugs and had played a lesser role in the drugs supply chain.

"You were being directed by messages on your phone. You were addicted to the drugs you were selling."

Andrew Oliver, for Tomkinson, said that he had been homeless and without benefits at the time of the offences.

"He was having problems with his accommodation, not having benefits and his prescription for Methadone had been stopped."

He said that Tomkinson was trying to cushion the blow of not having his Methadone prescription by taking drugs.

He said that he had been working as a runner delivering the drugs: "It is perfectly clear he was being directed where to go. He was a runner being told where to go."

Mr Oliver added: "He accepts he has a problem with Class A drugs pretty much all of his life."

He said he deserved credit for his guilty plea.