Vincent Gibbs' house in Croft Road, Old TownA SWINDON businessman who headed a cocaine and cannabis cartel must hand over £295,446 of his ill-gotten gains.

Vincent Gibbs, 38, who formerly worked for family firm Gibbs Tarmac, is serving seven years' imprisonment.

The term was imposed at Bristol Crown Court last December after he admitted conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis resin.

Now if he fails to hand over the money within nine months, he faces an extra five years behind bars.

The confiscation hearing at Bristol Crown Court heard that Gibbs needed time to arrange a property sale the only property mentioned during yesterday's hearing was in Croft Road, Old Town.

A day earlier at another confiscation hearing in the same court, four fellow Swindon gang members, who are currently serving sentences of up to six-and-a-half years' jail, were ordered to pay a total of £9,000.

The Crown has the right to claw back funds accrued by people from criminal acts. The judge at both hearings, David Ticehurst, also heard the original trial.

Passing sentence on Gibbs and his co-accused last December, the judge said of drugs: "They corrupt and destroy the lives of far too many people.

"Those who become addicted to Class A drugs frequently steal or rob to fund their habit, thereby increasing crime. Drugs destroy families and society."

The judge told Gibbs that he had been motivated purely by greed.

He added that Gibbs had sought to profit at the expense of others, in spite of earning good money in his work for a responsible company.

Gibbs had been in charge of the Swindon end of a drug supply network that was destroyed after the police set up an investigation called Operation Daisy.

In February 2002, officers swooped at the car park of the Spotted Cow at Coate, seizing cannabis resin worth £164,000.

They also seized a substantial amount of money in later raids.

At yesterday's hearing, the Crown was represented by Paul Cook and Gibbs by Brian Sharman.

Mr Cook told the judge that he and Gibbs' counsel had reached agreement over the precise sums to be submitted for consideration.

Mr Cook said Gibbs had benefited to the tune of £306,634.80 through his criminal actions, and had disposable assets of £295,446.48.

Gibbs himself, who sat in the dock of the court, made no comment during the hearing, which lasted only a few minutes.