DRUG-dealing brothers who hid cocaine and heroin inside Kinder Surprise eggs have been jailed.

Andrew O’Neill began drug dealing when he was aged 17 and enlisted his older brother, Scott O’Neill, aged 23, to act as his driver, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Nicholas Flanagan, prosecuting, told the court plain clothes police stopped the brothers in a Ford Fiesta, which drove on to the Mecca Bingo car park off Bury New Road at 10.20am on September 19 last year.

Three men were seen approaching the car’s passenger side window and walking off a short time later, apparently putting items in their pockets.

The brothers drove off and were followed by police, who approached themwhen they stopped in a bus layby.

Andrew O’Neill handed the officers two Kinder Surprise eggs, one containing wraps of heroin and the other wraps of cocaine.

Police also found more heroin and cocaine in the glove box, a small amount of cannabis under the steering wheel and recovered £105.

Altogether the drugs were worth £760.

The brothers, both of Bury New Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to supplying heroin, possessing heroin with intent to supply and possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Andrew O’Neill, now aged 18, also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis.

Kimberley Morton, defending Andrew O’Neill, said he began dealing drugs seven months before his arrest. He was living in a hostel and had no access to benefits, so accepted the offer of a £100 loan.

But within days the lender was demanding £200 be repaid and gave him the option of dealing drugs in order to pay the debt.

Richard English, defending Scott O’Neill, said he had begun helping his brother two months before they were caught after becoming unemployed.

Judge Elliot Knopf, jailing Andrew O’Neill for two years and eight months, and Scott O’Neill for two years, told them: “The message has to go out that for those who are tempted to obtain easy money, there is a downside to this.”