A London man whose supply of drugs caused five heroin overdoses in Welwyn Garden City has been jailed.

Cheguevar Mitchell-Dacres, of Devonshire Road in Lewisham, was involved in a supply of drugs which saw five people hospitalised in Hertfordshire.

He was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment for being concerned in the supply of class A drugs - namely heroin and crack cocaine - at Harrow Crown Court on Friday, March 4.

Mitchell-Dacres, 22, was handed an additional 14 months in jail for possession of a knife, which will run alongside his other sentence.

Hertfordshire Constabulary was alerted to the drugs supply on August 19, 2021.

An ambulance was called to a report of a collapsed man at an address on Peartree Lane, Welwyn Garden City, at around 10pm.

When paramedics were at the scene, three more men at the address became ill.

All four patients were taken to hospital where it was revealed they had suffered suspected heroin doses.

On the same night - after midnight on Friday, August 20 - officers were told that a fifth man had collapsed from a suspected heroin overdose at an address on Knella Road.

Hertfordshire Constabulary and its Operation Mantis county lines drug dealing team launched an investigation.

They travelled to West Norwood, London, where they arrested Mitchell-Dacres in connection with the overdoses.

He was also found in possession of a large knife.

Detective Inspector Adam Bridges, from the Welwyn Hatfield Local Crime Unit, said that the incidents were "worrying".

DI Bridges said: "Thankfully all five men made full recoveries but this was, of course, a very worrying time for them and their loved ones.

"Welwyn Hatfield is now a safer place with Mitchell-Dacres behind bars."

DI Bridges added: "We depend on information from members of the public to help us crack down on drug dealing so I urge anyone with suspicions to get in touch.

"Any information you can provide, no matter how small it may seem, could help us to identify and apprehend drug dealers."

A police spokesperson said that reports can be made online (https://www.herts.police.uk/) or by phone on 101.

If witnesses believe they have seen a drug deal, they can call 999 straight away.

Concerns and advice about drug-taking can be found on the FRANK website: https://www.talktofrank.com/