Police today declared that the fight against drugs in Colchester will continue, after criminals were jailed for almost 70 years thanks to a crackdown.

The last defendant, Robert Fraser, 37, of Weston Road, Colchester, was jailed yesterday for selling a gun to an undercover officer working on the Operation Petite drugs sting.

The operation, between April and May last year, saw 29 people jailed for a total of 64 years and one month. Among those arrested were a 14-year-old boy and two pregnant women.

Although officers are delighted with the results, their message is clear: "This is not over".

Speaking exclusively to the Gazette, Chief Insp Steve Johnson said: "We're extremely pleased with the success of the operation.

"It was a very difficult job from the outset, but the number of convictions just shows the depth of the intelligence and the evidence we managed to gather."

In the last Operation Petite case, Chelmsford Crown Court heard it was agreed Fraser would sell a .320 revolver for £150 after a meeting at the Grenadier pub, in Colchester, on March 24 last year.

A month later, on April 21, Fraser phoned his "friend", the undercover officer, and offered to sell him some heroin. The officer paid Fraser £20 for 161mg of the drug when they met later.

Marc Canatella, mitigating, told the court the gun sold to the officer was regarded by Fraser as junk.

Fraser was jailed for a total of two years and nine months after he admitted charges of transferring the gun and supplying heroin.

He received two-and-a-half years on the weapons charge and three months consecutive on the drugs matter.