John Guy Williams, Liam Harvey and Kevin Corbett appeared at Chester Crown Court to be sentenced on drug dealing charges.

All three men were arrested after two plain clothes police officers approached a parked car, driven by Williams, on Mason Street, off Liverpool Road, at about midday on October 20. Harvey and Corbett were passengers.

In a bid to get away from the police, Williams drove the car with one police officer clinging to the bonnet and another with his arm trapped in the driver's window.

Harvey, 20, of Brentwood Road and Corbett, 42, of Lichfield Road, both Blacon, both pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply.

Williams, 53, of Glyn Garth, Blacon, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine following a three-day trial, but was acquitted of attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm.

The court heard it was Williams' fourth conviction for drug supply and the Recorder of Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards, sentenced him to seven years in jail for conspiring to supply crack cocaine and heroin and two years for dangerous driving. Williams, a former firefighter at Ellesmere Port Fire Station, will serve a total of nine years behind bars.

Harvey was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institute and Corbett received a three-year prison sentence.

Judge Edwards said: "People who supply class A drugs in this city will be severely punished in this court."

During the trial Myles Wilson, prosecuting, told the jury PC Roger Smith and PC Yiestyn Lewis-Jones had followed three known drug users from the Cross to Mason Street, a drug dealing hotspot, when a green Hyundai Accent vehicle pulled up in the street.

The officers recognised Harvey, the rear seat passenger, as a known drug dealer, and approached the car. The doors were locked so PC Smith smashed the nearside windows with his elbow in an attempt to gain entry before jumping on the bonnet of the vehicle. PC Lewis-Jones tried to grab the car keys, but the driver's window was wound up and his arm became trapped.

The car then reversed out of Mason Street onto Liverpool Road, with PC Smith on the bonnet and PC Lewis-Jones running alongside with his arm stuck in the window.

PC Lewis-Jones' arm became free but the car drove off towards the Fountains roundabout, turning left onto St Oswald's Way and Victoria Road, with PC Smith still clinging to the bonnet. Harvey jumped out of the car on St Oswald's Way and the front seat passenger, Kevin Corbett, tried to escape from the vehicle on Victoria Road, but the car slowed down enough for PC Smith to jump off and he arrested Corbett.

Williams was later arrested at Harvey's family home in Blacon and Harvey was arrested in Newtown.

Harvey and Corbett were searched and found to be in possession of class A drugs.