A man who was jailed after he was caught in a major police operation targeting drug dealers on the streets of Watford has lost an appeal against his sentence.

Simon Matthew Alcott, 46, of Queens Road, Watford, sold hard drugs to an undercover police officer in 2015.

In April last year, he was jailed for seven years at Luton Crown Court for four offences of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

He was given concurrent sentences for separate offences of having a bladed article and assault by beating.

Today, his lawyers argued that the seven-year sentence was too tough, but saw their case thrown out by two senior judges at the Court of Appeal.

Mr Justice Openshaw, sitting with Judge James Burbidge QC, said Alcott had twice before been sentenced for Class A drug dealing.

That made him a "third strike drug dealer" and so liable for the seven-year minimum suggested by the government, he said.

Mr Justice Openshaw said: "We see nothing that makes the imposition of this sentence unjust.

"Indeed, as it seems to use, it is just the sort of case Parliament had in mind when it enacted this provision."

The court heard Alcott had previously been convicted in 2007 and 2012 for offences involving heroin dealing.

He was one of a large group sentenced following the police crackdown in 2015.

He had supplied an undercover officer in Watford with a small amount of heroin and, on three occasions, small deals of cocaine, the appeal judge said.

However, he was said to have had a "significant role" in street dealing.

He claimed his sentence was out of line with others passed at the same time, but Mr Justice Openshaw said they were not 'third strike' dealers.

The seven-year term was upheld.