AN addict who sold drugs to an undercover police officer after she was befriended by the detective was called "a soft touch" as she was spared prison.

On one occasion in March last year, Jodie Hutchinson thought she was trading a wrap of heroin for £10 – only for it to turn out to be sucrose.

Teesside Crown Court heard that both the 23-year-old and the Darlington policewoman – posing as an addict to infiltrate gangs – were "ripped off".

Hutchinson admitted supplying a Class A drug and attempting to supply a Class A drug, and was given an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Judge Peter Bowers also ordered the mother of twins to undergo Probation Service supervision, alcohol treatment and monthly drug testing.

He told her: "Whether I can succeed or the Probation Service can succeed is a matter for you really... let's see if we can clean you up."

Sam Faulks, mitigating, said Hutchinson, of Louisa Street, Darlington, looked much better after spending four weeks on remand since her arrest.

He called her pre-sentence report "thoroughly depressing" and told the court she left school at the age of 14 with serious drink and drug problems.

Judge Bowers described Hutchinson as "a bit of a soft touch" for police, but prosecutor David Crook said test purchasing is valuable in the war on drugs.