A drug dealer who led police in a car chase while carrying nearly £300,000 worth of heroin has been jailed.

Neil Corrigan was sentenced to five years in prison for supplying class A drugs, dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving without insurance.

The 42-year-old from Cayton, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was also banned from driving for five years and four months.

Chester Crown Court heard how officers had attempted to stop Corrigan as he drove a white Mercedes van down the M56 near Warrington on 5 March.

Footage of the pursuit showed Corrigan throwing a large package out of the window of the van before weaving through traffic at high speed along the motorway and continuing to the A555 towards Manchester Airport.

The pursuit continued on foot after Corrigan drove through a barrier near the entrance of a multi-storey car park at the airport.

He was arrested close to the Radisson Blue Hotel.

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Two brown packages, each containing 1kg of heroin, were recovered from the M56. Another two bags had broken and the substance had spilled out on the road.

A police drugs expert estimated that the 2kg of heroin had a street value of £142,850, meaning it was likely Corrigan was transporting more than £285,000 worth of illegal drugs in total.

Chief Inspector John Forshaw said: “The manner of Corrigan’s driving was extremely dangerous, showing no regard for the safety of innocent members of the public as part of his failed attempt to flee officers.”

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