A convicted drug dealer from Watford was forced to supply heroin and cocaine because his family was under threat from his former associates.

Ozan Hendley, 31, of Hope Green, was told by the dealers that he owed them £40,000 because the police seized their drugs from him three years ago, St Albans Crown Court heard on Friday.

When the father-of-two was arrested in August this year, he told the police he was supplying the drugs to pay off the debt.

The court heard he was driving a black Astra with no MOT in Leavesden on August 16. Prosecutor Charles Judge said that when Hendley saw the police, he drove off at speed but when he was stopped later that day, officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis.

A search was carried out and a small cannabis wrap and a white wrap of cocaine was discovered.  Three mobile phones were also recovered, two of them unregistered pay as you go mobiles containing evidence of drug dealing.

Hendley was taken to the police station where two white wraps and two brown wraps of drugs were found on him. He tested positive for cocaine and heroin, said Mr Judge.

He told the police: "You don't know what you have done. You need to get round to my mum's and get them to safety."

Police searched an old Jaguar parked near Hendley’s address after finding a key on him, and discovered two large uncut bags of heroin and one of cocaine valued between £3,000 and £5,000.

Hendley appeared for sentence via a video link from Bedford prison. He had pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply. He also admitted driving without a licence and having no insurance.

The court was told that in July 2014 he was jailed for four years for supplying cocaine. At the time of this arrest, he was on licence from that sentence.

Alex Britton, defending, said: "He was released from prison two-and-a-half years ago, started his own company and turned his life around. He wanted a distance between his old life in Watford.

"In May this year he was on a visit to Watford when previous associates followed him. He was taken to a house and told he owed money plus interest from the drugs seized previously.

"They told him he owed £40,000. Threats were made, particularly towards his mother, and he was told to work off the debts. In three weeks prior to his arrest he was a full time street dealer. He was not paid and not given any drugs.

"He was depressed and began to use drugs again. He was too frightened to go to the police. He wanted to be arrested by the police. He would drive past them with a cannabis joint."

Jailing him for 15 months, Recorder Stephen Rubin said: "On your arrest you expressed grave concern for your family's safety. The dealers you worked for threatened you with serious harm for the loss of their drugs."