EX-DRUG dealer Charlie Goble says police in Swindon should focus more on catching kingpins rather than street dealers.

The 70-year-old, who was handed a seven-year, eight-month jail sentence in 2010 after pleading guilty to his involvement in the supply of cannabis and cocaine, said the police spend too much time putting away low level drug pedlars, despite being given opportunities to catch the main suppliers.

The dad of 11, of Park Way, Siddington, near Cirencester said when he was caught collecting 250g of cocaine in Birmingham – £12,000 worth – the police who had tailed him to the site of the swap had an opportunity to arrest his supplier but failed to do so.

He said: “When they released me on bail and they said I could come and get my things I asked them how they knew I was there.

“That’s when they said they had bugged my car and they had followed me to Birmingham. They said they saw me pick the drugs up.

“I just don’t understand why they didn’t nick him there. He’s supplying drugs all over the country; surely it’s better to get him than people like me.”

Detective Inspector Ben Mant, of the specialist crime department for Swindon and Wiltshire, said that forces around the country worked together to crack down on serious crime of this type.

He said: “We can reassure the public that we do share any intelligence about our operations with other bodies, whether that be our colleagues in other forces or with national or even international crime agencies.

“Our priority is to protect the victims of crime in our communities here in Wiltshire, but we do work closely with other agencies when we are investigating cases which may be relevant to them.

“There are several tiers to how we work. For instance, our neighbourhood policing teams may execute warrants on particular premises and confiscate anything they find there, while other teams work to pursue the suppliers and dealers.”

Charlie, who served three years and two months of his term before being released in June 2013, said he turned to a life of crime out of desperation.

“I got into a bit of bother and it meant men with guns turned up at my door,” said the builder, who had to give up his job with a back problem.

“They said I could pay them the money or I could do this for them instead. I was desperate. I hate drugs myself – my own son died following a heroin overdose. I’ve never done drugs and I only did it to get them off my back.

“I’d never seen a drug before. I didn’t know the lingo or anything.

“The first time I saw a drug was when I was in prison, when I was first in prison when I was younger.

“I’m definitely never going back to prison. I’d tell anyone it’s just not worth it. Just don’t do it.”

Charlie, who has been widowed three times and has a back problem which has seen him wheelchair-bound in the past, said the worst thing abut his ordeal was losing the respect of his friends and neighbours.

“It was humiliating,” he said. “I didn’t want to go into town in Cirencester any more because everyone knew who I was and what I had done. I just wanted to be left alone.

“An old neighbour told me that we couldn’t be friends any more.

“I was so ashamed. Even the police said they were surprised at me.

“I mean, they knew who I was because I’ve been in a bit of trouble because I lose my temper, but even they were saying they were so surprised when they heard.”

Police arrested Charlie travelling back to Swindon from Birmingham.

“We came over the brow of the hill and they’d blocked off the road with two artic trucks, just for me,” he said.

“I had to slam on the brakes to stop from crashing into them.

“They came along and smashed all the windows to disorientate me, it was frightening.”