Leaders of a dial-a-drug gang which flooded the streets of a North West town with heroin and crack cocaine have been ordered to hand over their profits.

Amer Khan, Waqar Khan and Yaseen Suleman of Bolton were earlier this year identified as being key members of two separate gangs which each made up to £4,000 a day on the streets of Great Lever before a covert police operation brought down their empire.

The trio were found to have benefited from nearly £20,000 among them and were served with repayment orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 at Bolton Crown Court.

Amer Khan, aged 20, of Green Lane, Great Lever, was ordered to pay back £4,500 of the £5,961 he was deemed to have earned from drug dealing.

Waqar Khan, aged 26, of Roxalina Street, Great Lever, was said to have profited from £7,190 and was ordered to pay back £1,000.

Suleman, aged 24, of Shepley Street, Bolton, was told he must pay just £1 of the £4,277 he made.

The figures are based on the sum the court believes that they are able to pay back.

Sgt David Kehoe who led the investigation, said, "This should serve as a warning that dealers not only face jail, but also face having their assets seized and being forced to repay their profits.

"If we see these individuals driving flash cars after they are released from prison they will be ordered to pay back the full profits of their crimes."

In a separate case this month a Burnley drugs courier caught red-handed with more than £4million worth of cannabis, destined for dealers across the North West, was jailed.

Ahmed, aged 29, of New Hall Street, Burnley, was arrested by drug squad officers from Greater Manchester Police after an undercover operation.

Officers believe the ton of cannabis seized was destined for dealers across the North West.

Ahmed's arrest followed an undercover surveillance operation by drug squad police on a van at a lock-up unit in the Gorton area of Manchester.

A total of 1,000kg of cannabis resin, estimated to have a street value of over £4million, was seized by officers in the operation.

Detective Inspector John Ogdon, of GMP's drug unit, said: "Ahmed was essentially a courier in this operation and our inquiries will continue to try and trace the people higher up the chain."

A second man, Alexander Morris, 42, of Skelmersdale, was also jailed for three-and-a-half years.