DEALING in hard drugs like heroin is a despicable crime which targets vulnerable people who rely on these chemicals to get them through life.Hamza Ahmed was in no doubt about the seriousness of drug-dealing.

DEALING in hard drugs like heroin is a despicable crime which targets vulnerable people who rely on these chemicals to get them through life.

Hamza Ahmed was in no doubt about the seriousness of drug-dealing. He has already served one substantial prison sentence for similar offences and was warned then that if he continued to act in this way a tougher sentence would follow.

But that did not stop him, and now he has found that a crime that attracted a three-year sentence in 2004 now brings a six-year sentence.

And Judge Peter Thompson also warned him that any future court appearance for a similar offence will bring an even longer sentence.

The message has to be rammed home that drug-dealing is a crime that will not be tolerated.

The dealers peddle misery which can lead to addiction, illness, and ultimately death. Drugs remain the central cause of many of the problems faced by society.

It is hard drugs which lie behind Ipswich's vice scene which had a wholly unwanted spotlight turned on it during last winter's horrific events.

To end this dreadful trade, police need to go after the dealers who peddle this misery.

Ahmed might not be a Mr Big of the drugs trade, but it is people like him who provide the final link with the real victims of drugs and it is good to see him taken off the streets for a long time.

SUMMER might have taken a long time to arrive, but the weekend heatwave and the predictions of reasonably good weather over the next few days are bound to attract many people to the Suffolk coast.

But everyone needs to be aware that while the sea can be attractive, it can also be very dangerous - especially for people in inflatable boats and sunloungers.

The story of Ian Parkhouse and Priscilla Dias should be a warning for anyone considering taking to the sea in a small inflatable.

Luckily they were spotted and saved by members of the Felixstowe coast patrol and were none the worse for their experience.

But their warning should be heeded by everyone tempted to take out one of these inflatable boats - next time someone takes one of these flimsy vessels into the sea they might not be so fortunate.

SUFFOLK is a growing county and thousands of new homes are going to be built here over the next decade.

Now members of Babergh council are calling for these to be built in a new town - Suffolk's answer to Milton Keynes - rather than being spread around the county.

The idea of building a new community, complete with schools, shops, leisure facilities, doctors' surgeries and everything that is needed has its attractions.

But the danger is that no one wants this kind of community built on countryside near their own homes.

East Suffolk already has one new community that has built up at Rendlesham on the former USAF Bentwaters' base.

Before any decision is taking on building any further completely new communities, there needs to be a close examination of how well this community-building has worked.