FOUR drug smugglers who worked for Britain's biggest crack cocaine dealer deserved every day of their jail terms, top judges have ruled.

The four, including a Huddersfield man, were all convicted of conspiracy to import and supply class A drugs.

But they argued that their roles, working for ringleader Lincoln White, had been "overstated".

They were jailed for a total of 57½ years at Kingston Crown Court in March 2004.

But London's Criminal Appeal Court yesterday refused to grant the four permission to challenge their jail terms, rejecting claims they were "manifestly excessive".

Mr Justice Holman said there was a need for long deterrent sentences in such cases.

The four were arrested after a surveillance operation in 2002 by the National Crime Squad which culminated in the seizure of 11kg of crack cocaine.

Mr Justice Holman, sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Mr Justice Silber, said: "The seizure was the largest single quantity of crack cocaine found at a single address in the UK."

Errol Williams, 31, from Brixton, south London, was jailed for 20 years. He said he was a mere errand boy for White, 39, from Dulwich, south London, who was jailed for 25 years.

Michael Small, 37, of Spaines Road, Fartown, was jailed for 13 years.

When he was sentenced, the trial judge said: "Small was responsible for supplying most of the cocaine in Huddersfield.

"He had a stream of people at his door wanting to buy drugs."

Gatwick Airport worker Maxine Hemmings, 39, of Mitcham Road, Croydon, got 12 years.

The mother-of-one used her staff pass to get through the airport to assist the drug smugglers.

Rejecting her appeal, Mr Justice Holman said: "Hemmings was trusted with a pass by her employer and she abused that trust."

Janet Scott, 43, of Sparta Street, Lewisham, south London, was handed 12½ years.

She sent money overseas to pay for drugs and fund the exercise, said the appeal judge.