A CORRUPT policeman who became the eyes and ears of a wanted gangland killer was today facing jail.

Detective Constable John Jones was offered cocaine and prostitutes to help career criminal Allan Foster stay one step ahead of the law.

Former plumber Jones, 48, repeatedly accessed a Northumbria Police computer to pass on police intelligence about the drug baron.

The married father of two teenage sons, from Seaham, County Durham, was convicted by a jury of four counts of misconduct in public office.

He will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court tomorrow.

Toby Hedworth QC, prosecuting, said on one occasion in April 2006 Jones and Foster, 32, travelled from the North East to London's West End, where they visited nightclubs, hired call-girls and snorted cocaine.

"You may think Allan Foster had a taste for the high life," submit the Crown. "Detective Constable Jones liked the flavour as well," said Mr Hedworth.

One prostitute described to the jury how Jones offered her cocaine but was unable to have sex because he "could not get it up".

Giving evidence in the trial, Jones denied he was treated to that night out in London by the gangster.

He said he told the prostitute: "Look pet, I don't mean to be rude but I really don't want to do this," as she stripped off in a London Mews apartment bedroom.

The court heard Jones developed a contact with Foster in 2003 through bodybuilder Bruce McCall, a friend of the officer who owned a gym where all three men worked out.

Foster was facing a lengthy prison sentence for importing cannabis and wanted to gain credit from the judge by passing on information.

As an official informant he was given a shorter sentence, after he tipped off police about a cache of guns which they found in a car parked in Plaistow, east London.

Jones passed on the contact to colleagues working for the National Crime Squad, who tried to develop him further as an informant.

That should have been the end of formal dealings between Jones and Foster, the court heard, but the policeman continued to associate with him and pass on information.

After the murder of South Tyneside drug dealer David "Noddy" Rice in 2006, Northumbria Police uncovered the link between their officer and the gangster.

Foster, now 32, was able to stay one step ahead of the authorities to spirit himself out from the country and is believed to be in hiding in Spain.

After he was arrested, Jones told officers he associated with Foster in all innocence.

"I will be honest with you, I did like the lad," he told police, and accepted he had been foolish.

"I got on really well with him."

Jones, who is now working as a lecturer in construction at Newcastle College, was convicted by the jury after 17 hours and 26 minutes deliberation and a nine week trial.

He was found not guilty of accepting cash as payment from Foster.

Body builder McCall, 42, whose gym was in Seaham, was convicted of importing, possessing and supplying illegal steroids.

Judge Esmond Faulks adjourned sentence until tomorrow morning and released both men on bail.

Head of the Northumbria Police Integrity Unit, Det Supr Ian Daws said the corruption investigation began soon after David Noddy Rice was killed.

Witnesses were refusing to speak to detectives because they believed Allan Foster had "a cop on the payroll".

"It became clear early on that Allan Foster was a Soca source and as a result of that it became clear he was introduced to Soca by John Jones," he said.

Jones' police vehicle was bugged for a year as part of the investigation, he said.

It became clear he was a man with something to hide when he failed to reveal how significantly he and Foster were connected following the South Shields murder.

"Jones' failure to respond to the request for information in the murder investigation severely impaired the progress of that case in its early stages," Mr Daws said.

"The failure of a serving police officer to provide information of this nature in such a high profile investigation underlines how corrupt he became."

Det Supr Barbara Franklin said: "We are still actively seeking Allan Foster and would ask anyone with information to contact the police."