THE ringleader of a drugs gang, who has been on the run for six months, is starting a lengthy prison sentence today.

North Yorkshire Police said Sonny Elms was leader of a Scarborough drugs gang, who failed to appear at York Crown Court in February when five of his conspirators were jailed for a total of almost 20 years.

The 25-year-old was found and arrested in his home city of Manchester in July, and was jailed by York Crown Court for nine years, eight months on Friday for conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin, and also for failing to surrender.

The investigation which led to the gang's arrests lasted more than three years and saw North Yorkshire Police work closely with officers in Manchester, piecing together evidence including complicated mobile phone information, to build up a picture of how the organised crime group operated.

Five members of the gang – aged between 19 and 28 and all from the Greater Manchester area – were sentenced at York Crown Court in February, with sentences ranging from one-and-a-half years to six years, three months.

North Yorkshire Police Detective Sergeant Ryan Chapman, who led the case, said: "Elms seemed to think that he would disappear from our radar if he didn’t attend court. But it doesn’t work like that.

"We’ve worked tirelessly with Greater Manchester Police to track him down and ensure he was brought to justice. We owed it to the people of Scarborough, whose communities his offending has tarnished, to take these offenders off the streets. And today’s substantial sentence means we’ve taken Elms, who was the head of this gang, out of circulation for a very long time. The length of his sentence also sends a clear message to other gangs who are considering supplying drugs in North Yorkshire."

*A sixth member of the gang, 26-year-old Paul Daniel Heaton, remains on the run.

York Press:

Heaton is 5ft 11ins tall, with blue eyes, short hair, is often unshaven and speaks with a Manchester accent.

Anyone with information should phone police on 101, or 999 with immediate sightings. Alternatively, phone CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting reference 12130209531.