A drug addict who supplied crack cocaine to an undercover police officer has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

In a separate incident, Dean Foster was also caught with £1,500 worth of lead stolen from a church roof.

The 30-year-old, of Blackbrook Road, Loughborough, pleaded guilty to supplying the class A drug on June 5.

Nahied Asjad, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court that a plain clothes officer on an undercover operation to target drug dealers in Loughborough had approached the defendant about buying drugs.

Foster gave him his mobile phone number and when the officer rang a couple of days later asking for cocaine, the defendant said: "I'll ring my guy and ring you back."

They arranged to meet in Southfield Park, where £20 was exchanged for 0.09 grams of crack cocaine.

Foster also admitted possessing the stolen lead, from the roof of All Saints, in Hoby village.

Police went to Foster's home and obtained from him the keys of a car outside which was found to contain three rolls of lead. The court heard Foster had numerous previous convictions for dishonesty and one for possessing heroin in 1997.

Kate Lumbers, defending, said Foster was not a drug dealer and thought he was helping out a fellow addict by putting him in touch with his supplier.

Judge Michael Pert QC said: "Anyone involved in the trade of class A drugs can expect a custodial sentence."