A drug dealer who jumped in a river to evade police has been jailed for more than three years.

Neighbourhood officers were on patrol in St Neots on August 21 last year (2023) when they spotted Fynley Jefferies sat on a fence on Hardwick Road with a manbag across his front and a black plastic bag.

As they turned round to speak to him, the 20-year-old ran off, through some bushes before he jumped into the river.

He stayed in the water for a few minutes and was witnessed tying his manbag to some hanging branches before getting out to meet officers.

The team approached a member of the public with a paddleboard and with their help were able to retrieve the manbag which contained £325 in cash as well as cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine with a street value of £2,000.

At Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday (June 4), Jefferies, of Parker Close, Eynesbury, was sentenced to three years and 11 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession with intent to supply MDMA, possession of cannabis, harassment without violence and malicious communication.

PC Neal Bartley, from the St Neots neighbourhood policing team, said: “Jefferies put his life at risk by jumping into the river in an attempt to hide his drugs and cash from us.

“Unfortunately for him we knew exactly what he was up to and with help from a member of the public, we were able to secure the evidence needed for his conviction.

“We will continue to target people who sell drugs in our community.”