A GANG who dealt drugs and misery in Huddersfield are behind bars.

And police believe the jailing of the five-man gang has restored normality to a troubled estate.

Detectives believe the gang, who based themselves at a Sheepridge betting shop, were responsible for much of the crime and fear of crime that surrounded the area.

Now, since their arrests after two undercover operations, the number of crimes and incidents involving guns has dropped dramatically.

"The gang caused many problems for local residents and shopkeepers," said Det Sgt Seth Robinson, of the Kirklees Drugs and Gun Crime Teams.

"Drug users have to fuel their habits and they turn to crime and in particular acquisitive crime.

"Our operations have taken some dangerous people off the streets and put them behind bars.

"Gun crime in Sheepridge has dropped, as have the number of robberies, and we have a degree of calm."

Last week, a judge at Bradford Crown Court handed out tough sentences to the gang.

Convicted killer Shane Thomas - who was given at least 25 years for murder last week - was sentenced by Judge Jennifer Kershaw QC to four years to run concurrently with the 'life' sentence.

He was one member of the gang that used the bookmakers as a base to supply class A drugs.

Bradford Crown Court was told that thousands of pounds worth of heroin and crack cocaine was dealt to addicts from Jack Pearson's bookmakers in Sheepridge.

In the dock alongside Thomas, 24, of Manchester Road, Longroyd Bridge, were Aaron Dallagher, 21, Christopher Rowe, 18, Joel Pusey, 20, and David Lewin, 24.

Dallagher, of Trafalgar Close, Brackenhall, and Lewin, of Sherwood Avenue, Bradley, were also locked up for four years.

Pusey, of Bradley Boulevard, Sheepridge, was given 18 months and Rowe, of Brackenhall Road, Sheepridge, was sentenced to two years and eight months in custody. All had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, including heroin and cocaine.

Thomas was sentenced on Thursday for the murder of nightclubber Michael Hanley, who was gunned down outside a Ravensthorpe bar.

Det Sgt Robinson said two operations were run by police, concerned at the amount of drug dealing in the Sheepridge and Deighton area.

Their investigations began in October 2005 and led to the arrests of Pusey and Dallagher.

The second operation, involving undercover officers from the drugs team, found many links with the previous inquiry.

"When the Crown Prosecution Service looked at the two cases, it was decided to pull them together.

"The decision to arrest all the members of the gang was taken and it led to last week's court case.

"We were very concerned that parts of Huddersfield were becoming an open drugs market. People were travelling from near and far to buy drugs from these individuals and as a consequence we had a lot of problems on the estates in Sheepridge and Deighton.

"The gang used a mobile phone to arrange their deals and police logged more than 16,600 calls in a nine-month period.

"Now, after this successful operation, we no longer have gangs causing disruption and people can go about their normal lives."

* If you have information about drug crime ring Ctrimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or West Yorkshire Polcie on 0845 6060606.