A Clapham man who helped put heroin on the streets of London has been jailed.

Wesley Clarke 33, of Gaskell Street was part of a gang that used numerous apartments in south London to process drugs and mix them with 'cutting agent' in order to increase the volume and street value.

On October 4, 2016, officers conducted a search at Malmsey House, Vauxhall - one of the apartment blocks used by the gang.

Concealed in a cupboard they found 1.5kg of heroin and a loaded Glock 26 pistol. Forensic evidence linked Clarke to both these items.

Three months later on January 10 at the same home, Clarke was arrested after he was found in possession of heroin and cocaine.

During the trial, the jury heard evidence of the gang's (which included three other members) plan to import 300kg of heroin, potentially worth £15 million, from Turkey and Panama for distribution in London.

At a hearing in Kingston Crown Court yesterday (December 17), Clarke was sentenced to 24 years in jail after he was convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin, possession of a loaded firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition.

Detective Inspector Tim Mustoe, of the Organised Crime Command, said: "These men were members of an organised criminal group who were intent on delivering hundreds of kilos of class A drugs to gangs on the streets of London.

"Clarke's conviction for possession of a loaded handgun with intent to endanger life demonstrates the lengths they were prepared to go to protect their business model and the danger that they posed to the public.

"These convictions show our commitment to tackling organised criminals who seek to profit from the misery inflicted by the distribution of drugs in London."