AN ASKAM-in-Furness man was ordered to repay more than £17,000 – or face a further eight months in jail – for money earned from drugs.

David McCormick, 35, of Plover Close, appeared at Barrow Crown Court having already been jailed in May for five-and-half years after pleading guilty to supplying heroin and money laundering.

The court heard that McCormick ‘criminally benefited’ from a total of £40,853.92.

DC Nick Doherty, a financial investigator who worked on the case, said: “The Proceeds of Crime Act allows us to hit criminals where it hurts – their lifestyles and their wallets.

“We are committed to getting rid of drugs from the streets of Cumbria and recovering any financial benefit dealers may have acquired through their crimes.”

He welcomed the decision to strip McCormick of his criminal gains.

"By pedalling drugs from Liverpool into our communities, McCormick benefitted from tens of thousands of pounds.

"As well as stripping him of his freedom, the criminal justice system has been able to strip him of his criminal gains.”