The Accrington Observer has been praised by police after it helped convict a drug dealer who was causing havoc on a troubled council estate.

Observer reporter Laura Sharpe was instrumental in the dealer’s arrest.

She cultivated good contacts with residents on the estate over a number of weeks after residents told her they had complained to the police about the drug dealer’s activities but little was being done.

Eventually a neighbour living next door to the dealer handed a DVD to the reporter which showed people queuing up at the dealer’s house. Voices on the DVD also made it evident that dealing was taking place.

It is thought both the dealer and the neighbour had security cameras installed outside their homes on what was a wireless system.

The neighbour had ‘accidentally’ tapped into the dealer’s camera recording no less than 24 ‘customers’ approaching the window within a period of four hours. The DVD clearly showed drugs and cash exchanging hands.

The Observer handed over the DVD to police who raided the house two hours later – inviting Laura and a photographer to accompany them and report on the raid.

The police found amphetamine, cannabis, weapons, two gas canisters and a stun gun. The raid made the Observer’s page one splash at the time which featured stills from the DVD.

The suspect was subsequently charged and this week pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply and to possessing prohibited weapons. He has been warned he faces a jail sentence.

Sgt Bob Eaton, from Accrington Police, who worked with the Observer on the case, said: “As soon as we saw the DVD we acted quickly and conducted a quality search. A lot of the evidence came from the original DVD and helped with [the] conviction.”