A TRIAL of a man accused of selling undercover police officers crack cocaine has been temporarily halted.

The jury hearing the case against Clive Cunningham was told he had been taken ill yesterday. The trial is expected to resume once doctors have given Cunningham the all clear.

Earlier, Bolton Crown Court heard that undercover police officers filmed a man and a woman selling crack cocaine outside a Bolton town centre petrol station.

As part of Operation Atlas, designed to rid the town of hard drug dealers, two officers, codenamed Ali and Dave, posed as crack addicts and bought crack cocaine.

Then as the man, accompanied by a woman, arrived at the petrol station on Thynne Street, Bolton, officers bought two rocks of crack cocaine for £40.

Cunningham, aged 33, of Dubbinets Lane, Baguley, denied possessing and selling crack cocaine in March last year. The court heard that his female co-accused had since died.

The jury heard that an undercover team watched and filmed as a black man, codenamed Uxbridge, and his female partner, codenamed Viceroy, sold officers drugs.

The prosecution alleged that Cunningham was Uxbridge and his female partner Viceroy was the late Sarah Parker.

(Proceeding)