A Lewisham drug dealer has been jailed for eight years after police found pistols and cocaine during a search.

A search warrant carried out by local detectives uncovered a rucksack with three pistols and almost a kilogram of cocaine.

Shaun Bent, of Brindley Street in SE14, was arrested at his home address on July 4 last year, as part of an investigation by Metropolitan Police set up to tackle violent and organised crime in Lewisham.

Officers uncovered a rucksack which contained three pistols, each containing 18 round magazines and 46 rounds of ammunition.

788 grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia was also found by police, along with £53,000 in cash and a money counter.

Bent was charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and three counts of possession of a prohibited firearm, and was sentenced to eight years in prison at Woolwich Crown Court on January 8.

Detective Inspector Lewis Sanderson, of the Lewisham proactive investigation team, said: “This case shows how drug dealing and violence go hand in hand. Thanks to the efforts of Met officers, another drug dealer is now in prison and three dangerous weapons are off the streets of London.

“Through successes like this, led by local Lewisham officers, we can continue to show how we are keeping our community safe.”