Police kept watch as two Birmingham men peddled drugs at a children's playground in Bromsgrove Road, Redditch, Worcester Crown Court was told.

The pair had hidden the drugs in a hedge and under a pile of sticks, said Samantha Crabb, prosecuting.

"Customers", stopped as they drove away, were found to have wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

Merban Sadiq, aged 26, of Powick Place, Lozells, and Mudassir Zabeir, 16, of South Road, Hockley, pleaded guilty to possessing class A drugs with intent to supply to others.

Sadiq also admitted having an offensive weapon, a lock knife with a knuckleduster attachment.

Sadiq was jailed for three years and 11 months. Zabeir was made the subject of an 18-month detention and training order.

Judge David Matthews said he would have taken a more serious view if there had been evidence that children had been present when the dealing was taking place.

The playground offence came two months after the pair were stopped by plain clothes police in Mount Pleasant, Redditch. Zabeir tried to run off but was restrained.

Sadiq made his escape but was captured after a chase during which he threw away the knife and bags of drugs. The men initially claimed they did not know each other.

Martin Butterworth, for Zabeir, said he was a young man in conflict with his parents. He had fallen into wrong company and begun using heroin. The only way he could finance his habit was to carry out the bidding of his supplier.

Brenda Campbell, for Sadiq, said he had given up his job as a taxi driver. With time on his hands, he had started smoking crack cocaine and tried to get discounted drugs for himself by selling to others.