THE man behind a lucrative crack cocaine business has been jailed for five years - a sentence described by police as long overdue.

Sixty-four-year-old Jamaican national Reginald Johnson - known as Shaggy - had been a drugs squad target for at least seven years.

Two of Johnson's previous homes in Middlesbrough had been closed down under crack-house laws, and he had been warned to stop dealing or be jailed. But Johnson carried on supplying the highly-addictive drug in the town.

Johnson's girlfriend, Leanne McCaffery, 33, was jailed for four years for her part in what a judge described as "the family business".

A third person, West Indian university student Rhaul Warren was jailed for three years after being caught in the same undercover police operation last year.

Warren, 21, had been in the UK for only four weeks when he was arrested in Middlesbrough, on November 30. He had £150 on him.

His home in Falmouth Street was searched and more than £4,000 was found, along with a quantity of crack cocaine.

Warren, said to have been in the country for experience before starting his studies, admitted selling £1,000 of the drug in one week, from which he earned £300.

McCaffery supplied undercover police 17 times, and Johnson handed over drugs to officers on 22 occasions between August and December last year.

Police also made secret recordings of crack cocaine being delivered to the couple's home, in Essex Street, where it was divided into smaller amounts and sent out.

Johnson was evicted from his previous homes in Union Street and Abingdon Road, which were boarded up after police obtained court orders.

The then head of the town's drugs squad, Detective Sergeant Paul Templeman, warned Johnson to stop dealing or be jailed.

After yesterday's case at Teesside Crown Court, Detective Constable Jim Devine said: "Reginald Johnson has been a long-term target.

"He has been a thorn in the side of the law-abiding residents of Middlesbrough for many years with his criminal and anti-social behaviour.

"He was warned during previous investigations that if he did not cease, he would be brought before the courts, and now he is aware Det Sgt Templeman is a man of his word."

Det Con Devine added: "Johnson was a point of contact for those who travelled from outside the area - predominantly London - to supply crack cocaine."

Judge David Bryant described Johnson as "the leader of this flourishing retail business" and told Warren: "You were only in this country for four weeks, but you made up for lost time, and joined in happily and enthusiastically to make money."

All three admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs.