A CONVICTED drug dealer was yesterday ordered to forfeit assets worth £113,796 acquired as a result of his illicit activities.

Thomas Davidson, 37, who rented a Spanish holiday villa as well as owning two homes in the North-East, was jailed for six years in January.

Durham Crown Court heard that cocaine, Ecstasy tablets and cannabis resin worth £53,000 in street values were seized by police after he was arrested at the wheel of his car, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, last June.

Davidson admitted more than £19,000 of the £23,000 recovered from properties he owned in High Northgate, Darlington, and Copley, near Bishop Auckland, were the proceeds of his dealing.

However, he was yesterday ordered to forfeit the two homes and a caravan, a Renault Megane in which he was arrested, plus the entire £23,000 recovered during the police operation, bringing the total to £113,796.

A destruction order was made for the drugs recovered in the operation when Davidson was sentenced in January, after he admitted three counts of drug possession with intent to supply. However, a BMW car, also seized by police during Operation Goya, was returned as it was accepted that it did not belong to Davidson.

Following the drug trafficking hearing at the court yesterday, deputy circuit judge Denis Orde ordered that, despite being behind bars, the full amount should be paid by Davidson within six months.

Judge Orde added that should he fail to meet the deadline, he must serve a further six months at the end of his six-year sentence.

The court was told Durham Police's drug trafficking investigation took an officer to Spain, following up information through Interpol.

Roger Moore, prosecuting, said it was discovered that Davidson rented a holiday villa in Benidorm for ten months, for which he paid an advance of £2,983. He also had two Spanish bank accounts, one for pesetas containing the equivalent of £461, and another for sterling.

Jeff Hunter, defending, said although Davidson admitted dealing for about a year before his arrest, it was "almost impossible" to put a figure on the benefits he acquired as he often sold at below accepted street values.