PHIL Berry was a corrupt police officer who sold a book of secret police informants to convicted drug dealer Gary Knox in exchange for cash, a £20,000 BMW and football tickets.

As a field intelligence officer and integral part of Bolton’s highly respected and award-winning drugs unit, his job meant that he had access to extremely sensitive information.

He decided to make extra cash by selling that information to Knox, a man who was well known to police, having been twice convicted of drug dealing and shot in the chest in a previous gang war.

The prosecution alleged that the book contained the names of Knox’s drug rivals and potential “grasses”.

Berry, pictured, of Oldstead Grove, Deane, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and was jailed for four years.

He was released earlier this year after serving half of his sentence.

Knox, convicted of conspiring with Berry, was also on trial for conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs.

He was accused of being involved in a drug dealing operation based at a unit at Outwood Industrial Estate, Radcliffe, but was cleared.

The court heard that Knox led an extravagant lifestyle, spending hundreds of thousands of pounds at casinos and buying expensive cars.

The other defendants, Hunt, Grainger, Meiring, Hadfield, Greaves and Sewart were also accused of being involved in the Radcliffe drugs operation.

All except Hunt, who pleaded guilty to supplying class B drugs, were acquitted or discharged.