A teenage drug dealer has been sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders' institute for possessing hundreds of pounds worth of crack cocaine and heroin.

The 17-year-old was arrested in October after neighbours complained to the Surbiton Safer Neighbourhoods Team that he was dealing drugs from a flat in Victoria Avenue, Surbiton.

When police searched the flat, they found 48 packages of crack cocaine and 16 packages of heroin, with the teenager's fingerprint on one of the packages.

Police also found £700 on the teenager, who initially claimed it was wages from a holiday job.

Defence counsel Mr Green told the court that the teenager, who has no previous convictions, had developed a drug addiction in 2006 after a death in his family and had run up debts of hundreds of pounds.

As a result, he became involved in a drug dealing ring.

Sentencing the teenager at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, Judge Campbell said: "You seem to come from a thoroughly decent family but a custodial sentence is inevitable.

"You clearly had mixed with people far more into serious crime than you.

"I have taken into account your previous good character, your age and your close family ties, and I am going to make the sentence as short as I can."

The teenager will serve at least half of the custodial 18 month detention and training order before being released under a supervision order for the remainder of the sentence.

Judge Campbell also ordered the destruction of the drugs and forfeiture of the £700.

Detective Constable James Northway, of Kingston Police, said: "This outcome should serve as a warning to other criminals that the police and particularly the communuity will not tolerate drugs in the our borough.

@We will do all we can to ensure we bring those responsible to justice."