William Pallant was stopped and arrested by officers as he ran from his car near Dover in May 2020. Two knives and a knuckleduster were then found in the vehicle.

Pallant, 22, has since admitted multiple offences and was sentenced to four and a half years at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 13 November.

Officers on patrol in the Martin Mill area in the early hours of Saturday 16 May saw a Vauxhall which had previously been linked to drug dealing in the area.

The car was driven away when an officer approached it and, after travelling on the wrong side of a road during a pursuit, it skidded into a field near West Langdon.

Pallant was seen running away but was stopped by officers and his car was searched. A quantity of cocaine, cannabis, two knives and a knuckleduster, as well as drug dealing equipment and bags, were seized.

While under investigation for those matters, Pallant was seen driving a Skoda along the M20 near Folkestone at around 100mph on Saturday 18 July.

He was stopped by traffic officers and a roadside test gave a positive result for cocaine and cannabis. The Skoda was searched and found to contain LSD tablets, cannabis and a lock knife.

Pallant, of no fixed address, later admitted charges of possession of cocaine, cannabis and LSD with intent to supply, and multiple counts of possession of an offensive weapon.

Investigating officer PC Mark Treveil, from Dover’s Victim Based Crime Team, said: ‘Pallant is an unrepentant drug dealer who carried on dealing despite his initial arrest and the ongoing investigation into his activities.

The weapons he carried around with him show how drug dealing is all too closely linked with violence and other crime and I am pleased our work has seen him, his weapons and his drugs removed from the streets of Kent.

Fellow investigating officer PC Adele Couchman said: ‘Kent Police is committed to shutting down and disrupting drug networks in the county. If you have any information which may assist us, or you suspect drug dealing is taking place near you, call 101, report it through our website or dial 999 if a crime is taking place.’