A 53-year-old drug dealer has been jailed after a £2.5 million haul was discovered in a lorry bound for Sandy.

Paul Prescott – originally from Liverpool, but now of Alicante in Spain – was jailed for 26 months by Luton Crown Court judge Barbara Mensah after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply herbal cannabis.

The HGV contained more than 658kg of class B drugs – amphetamine, herbal cannabis and cannabis resin – and Prescott was identified as a suspect after his blood was found on one of the herbal cannabis packages.

Det Sgt Matt Inwood, who led the investigation, said: “Our work means that over 658kg of class B drugs have not made their way to the streets.

“I’m pleased Prescott has been given a custodial sentence as drugs cause extreme harm in our communities, and we will take action against those who supply them to others.”

The police investigation started when the UK Border Force intercepted the lorry on its way to Sandy on June 14 last year.

It was heading to a warehouse unit in the town – booked under a false name – and carried the drugs inside wooden crates that also contained parts for motor vehicles.

Officers arrested Prescott at Manchester Airport in March after he used his passport while trying to fly back out to his home in Spain.

While admitting conspiracy to supply herbal cannabis, Prescott pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis resin and amphetamine. The court allowed these charges to lie on the file.