TWO people who had illicit substances seized from them in Penrith have been sentenced for drug-related offences.

29-year-old Paul Nicholson, who is of no fixed abode, received a prison sentence of six years and six month yesterday at Carlisle Crown Court for a number of offences.

They included: possession with intent to supply Methedrone, a Class-B substance, as well as concern in the supply of cocaine and possession of criminal property.

Lynsey Horne, 37 and from Bolton, was sentenced to 20 months of jail time for involvement in the supply of Methedrone and for two other charges relating to concealment of criminal property.

Police officers stopped and searched a car in September, in which Mr Nicholson was a passenger, as the vehicle had a nearside light out.

Following a search of the vehicle, cannabis was seized from the glove box. A white iPhone was also found, as well as a metal security tin in the car's boot, along with £290 in cash.

When officers asked who the tin belonged to, Mr Nicolson replied saying: ‘It’s mine’.

On Sunday, September 29, police gained accesses to the seized metal safe. Inside it, the following items were found: a large bag of off-white powder, £205 in cash within an envelope, micro-scales, a notebook, a spoon containing traces of powder and a box of small snap bags.

The notebook appeared to contain a debtors list.

On Monday, October 30, detectives secured the housing benefit application Ms Horne completed by hand and sent to the council.

They discovered that the handwriting appeared extremely similar to one of the styles found within the notebook from the metal safe - seized from the vehicle in which Nicholson was a passenger.

On December 22, officers examined Ms Horne’s mobile phone which showed snap chat messages agreeing to sell drugs.

They gained financial bank statements from Ms Horne’s bank account which showed cash deposits totalling over £16,000 between November and December 2019.

Between November 2018 and December 2019 the account had a Credit turnover of £41,244.56 and a debit turnover of £41,549.24.

Officers compared financial data with information from Facebook, Snapchat and the debtors list within the notebook - in which numerous links were highlighted between Horne and the debtors list.

Commenting on the sentencing of Mr Nicholson this week, Detective Constable Richard Scoffham of North Crime and Safeguarding team said: “Paul Nicholson’s drug dealing came to the police’s attention through the pro-active work of Eden police officers and North Cumbria Detectives, who strive to make Cumbria a safer place.

"His arrest and sentence reflects the serious approach Cumbria Constabulary are taking to combat those that are involved in drugs supply within the area.”