A 26-YEAR-OLD man who dealt drugs to undercover police in a children's playground has been sent to jail for four years.

Stephen Knight was one of fifteen people arrested in a string of dawn raids on homes in Devizes last September as a part of Operation Ardent.

The nine-month undercover sting saw two police officers infiltrate drug users and dealers in the town and buy heroin and crack cocaine from them.

Knight's flat was one of six on Waiblingen Way raided at the end of the operation which netted drugs and stolen property.

During the operation two police officers known as Matt and Anne mixed with users for three weeks at the end of July.

They met them after Matt posed as a prisoner, and befriended one of the men in the exercise yard at Melksham police station.

At an earlier hearing, Kate Brown, prosecuting, told the court how Knight dealt heroin and crack cocaine from his home and on one occasion handed over the drugs to officers at a children's play area.

When his flat was searched he was also found in possession of six watches and other items worth a total of £180 which had been stolen from the Wiltshire Blind Association.

Knight pleaded guilty to offering to supply heroin and crack cocaine, three charges of supplying heroin, possessing cannabis and handling stolen goods.

The court heard he had a string of previous convictions and was jailed for six months in 1997 after he was convicted of supplying cannabis.

Mark Ashley, defending, said that his client had been in custody for five months and in that time managed to get off drugs.

"He owed money to people and was put under pressure and foolishly got involved. There was pressure on him and to his family, and the family had to move out of the area."

Jailing him, Judge Charles Wade said: "You, with others, were involved in dealing with these large quantities of class A drugs. This appeared to be part of an organised setup supplying drugs, if not on a commercial then a semi commercial basis. You were making profits at the expense of the misery of others hooked on these drugs. Your intention was to make profit.

"From the report it appears you are remorseful about the effects of drugs on yourself and your family, but more limited remorse on the effect on the community.

"It is to your credit that while in prison you have addressed your drug problem. I hope you will now address it so thoroughly you can come out and have nothing more to do with them."