A bungling drug dealer caught red-handed trying to sell to undercover police has been locked up.

Thomas David Cole, 31, cycled up to PC Gary Barnes and Sergeant Rob Simpson, who were in plain clothes and talking to a group of males at the underpass at the end of Gas Road in Macclesfield town centre.

After ‘offering them cannabis and pills’, Cole spotted their police ear pieces and tried to flee - but was caught with 15 wraps of cannabis.

Cole, of Parkgate Road, Macclesfield, was found guilty of possession with intent to supply cannabis after a trial in his absence.

In two separate incidents Cole was also found guilty in his absence of a common assault where he launched a ‘revenge’ attack on a man in the street, and admitted possession of the pain killed Tramadol, a class c drug.

Both offences breached his post-custody supervision with probation.

At Warrington Crown Court, Cole was jailed for 62 weeks.

At the trial the court heard that on February 8 police tasked with investigating issues of crime and antisocial behaviour on the notorious underpass when Cole approached them ‘out of the blue’ on his BMX.

In his police interview Cole admitted having half an ounce of ‘Lemon Haze cannabis’ on him.

The court also heard that on February 18 Cole walked up to a man who was talking on his phone on Mill Street and punched him to the side of the head.

The final incident happened in May when Cole was arrested he was found to be in possession with Tramadol, a class c drug.

At a previous hearing the court heard that after serving a prison sentence he started selling drugs as a way to repay the money he owed to his drug dealers and keep himself away from their retribution.

Philip Clemo, defending, said Cole had lived a chaotic lifestyle for a long time.

He said: “At the time of the offending his step-father had died suddenly of a brain haemorrhage, [a friend] had hung himself and he had found the body, and another friend had died in his arms from drinking too much alcohol.

“He had been deeply affected by the three incidents. He was also attacked by a dog and suffered scaring to his face.”

The court heard that Cole had battled drug addiction and been clean since being in custody, where he was being bullied.