The drug dealer who made things very easy for police

A drug dealer made things very easy for police - leaving his full name, date of birth and a CONFESSION on his phone. "This is all my cocaine," Anthony Bardsley said in an audio file recovered by cops.

An investigation was launched when Humberside police tipped Greater Manchester detectives off about a phone number suspected of being used as a county line, offering crack and heroin for sale in Grimsby. Cell site data placed it in our region in November 2022.

Operation Halley was launched and police soon discovered the line had been used to send bulk messages to drug users. Bardsley's number matched the dedicated drug line.

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In February, a dawn raid was carried out at his home on Witnerdyne Street in Harpurhey, Manchester. Bardsley, 34, was arrested on suspicion of the supply of Class A drugs. He also tested positive for drugs.

The drug phone and his personal phone were seized. On his own device, police found an audio file. Bardsley said: "Just for the record my name is Anthony Bardsley, born 31/10/1988 and I’m just letting you know that this is nothing to do with *** this is all my cocaine and everything to do with it is all to do with me."

Bardsley has now been jailed for three years and six months having pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs at Minshull Street Crown Court.

"Our meticulous investigation, with the support from our colleagues in Humberside, has stopped another supply of drugs, this time in Grimsby but from Manchester," PC Sam Schofield of GMP’s County Lines Team said.

"County lines drug operations have a devastating impact on the lives of those who are the most vulnerable in