A MAN has been sentenced after being found guilty of drug offences.

Daniel Beales, 20, of Shinfield Road, was found guilty on Monday (26) by a unanimous jury at Reading Crown Court of two counts of possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply following a four-day trial.

One count related to cocaine and the other to heroin.

At around 1.45pm on December 5, 2016, police officers saw Beales acting in a suspicious manner in Kings Road, and he proceeded to run from them.

A member of the public saw Beales place a package underneath a bin and she showed officers where it was hidden. The package was found to contain multiple wraps of Class A drugs.

Beales was arrested at the scene and he was charged on 17 July, 2017. He was sentenced to a total of three years and nine months' detention in a young offenders' institution.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Alan Pearcy, of the Investigation Hub at Reading, said: “Thames Valley Police will robustly investigate any offences relating to drug dealing.

“The substantial prison sentence given to Beales should act as a warning to others who are intending to take part in this criminal activity, which can ruin lives.

“I wish to publicly thank the member of the public who assisted police in this investigation because without her help this conviction would not have been possible.”