A drug dealer who was arrested by police in Felixstowe tried to swallow a package containing heroin during a strip search by police, a court has heard.

Kyle Wakefield told officers he had not got any drugs on him, but after removing his clothes he removed a package from between his buttocks and tried to put it in his mouth, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Police officers took hold of him in an attempt to stop him swallowing the package and in the struggle that followed Wakefield and the officers fell to the floor, said Matthew Sorel-Cameron, prosecuting.

The incident came to an end when Wakefield spat out the package which contained 5g of heroin worth £500.

He then told officers they should have got him an hour earlier when he had more drugs, said Mr Sorel-Cameron.

Wakefield had also threatened the officers and said: “You wait until I see you out of uniform.”

The court heard that police officers stopped a car driven by Wakefield in Runnacles Way and spoke to him about driving without insurance and without a driving licence.

The officers searched Wakefield and found four mobile phones, two of which contained messages relating to drug dealing.

Yesterday, Wakefield and his partner, who is due to give birth to their first child together later this month, sobbed as he was jailed for 42 months.

Wakefield, 24, of Luton, admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply on October 18 last year.

He also admitted being in possession of cocaine and cannabis and obstructing a police officer.

He also admitted driving without insurance and without a driving licence and in addition to being jailed he was banned from driving for 33 months.

Sentencing him, Judge Rupert Overbury said Wakefield had been unrepentant at the police station and had been unco-operative with police.

Folashade Abiodun, for Wakefield, said her client’s partner was due to have their first child by Caesarean section on June 23.

She said Wakefield, who had recently spent some time living in Colchester, had “spiralled out of control” after his baby daughter, who was born prematurely, died in 2013.