A LONG-TERM heroin addict acted as a dealer's runner to ensure his continued supply of the drug.

Police found an egg-shaped container with a dozen wraps of heroin when Christopher Williams was pulled up at the wheel of a car, on the A1086 Coast Road, near Blackhall Rocks, in east Durham.

Several needles, a mobile phone and two notebooks were also retrieved from the car, in the search on September 12, last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that Williams admitted he was a heroin user, and confirmed the wraps contained the drug, but said it was for his own use.

Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, said one of the notebooks contained a dealer's list of names, cash amounts and phone numbers.

Analysis of the phone and text messages also revealed drug-related activity, said Miss Haigh.

When interviewed by police, Williams claimed he made up the wraps to ensure he did not take too much heroin per dose.

He said the notebooks did not belong to him, and that he knew nothing of the dealer's list.

But, at a previous hearing, 25-year-old Williams, of Bruntoft Avenue, Hartlepool, admitted possessing the class A drug with intent to supply.

Mark Styles, mitigating, said his admissions were on the basis that he had possession of the drug to pass on to someone else.

"In effect, he was acting as a a runner and, in return, would have received heroin for his own use, but no money," said Mr Styles.

"He seems to have been addicted for about a decade."

Mr Styles said that while in custody Williams appeared responsive to trying to kick the drug, and does want, "to sort himself out".

However, jailing him for a year, Judge Richard Lowden told Williams: "I would have been more impressed if you had taken the opportunity to overcome drug-taking when you weren't in custody.

"It seems you were acting as a runner to enable you to gain credit to feed your own heroin habit."

Judge Lowden added seven days to Williams' sentence for a previous breach of bail.