The sentencing of five members of an Ipswich drug dealing gang has been adjourned to allow prosecutors to analyse the full scale of the operation.

Five members of the group were due to be sentenced for drug dealing offences at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday.

All five entered guilty pleas to offences by the end of July 2020, but sentencing had been delayed, largely due to difficulties accommodating all parties in the same courtroom during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Friday, prosecutor Brian Reece applied for a further adjournment in order to utilise an algorithm to analyse mobile phone data and establish the potential value of the operation.

Although the application was opposed by all five defence teams, Judge David Pugh decided it was in the interests of justice and the public interest to allow the adjournment.

Tyrone Clarke, 27, of Shackleton Square, Lamar Dagnon, 24, formerly of Nansen Road but currently a serving prisoner, and Daniel McCallion, 20, of Gilbert Road, Eastbourne, all admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine between December 10, 2018 and March 19, 2020.

Meanwhile, brothers Ishmael O'Connor, 32, of Alston Road, and Shadrach O'Connor, 28, of Nacton Crescent, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine in Ipswich.

Judge Pugh gave prosecutors four weeks to serve the evidence on defence teams before a new date can be fixed for sentencing.