TWO men jailed for drug offences have been ordered to hand over ill-gotten gains totalling more than £16,000.

Niall Dixon, 20, and 19-year-old Jack Connor Lowery were locked up by a judge earlier this year.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that over an 11-month period the duo, along with 25-year-old accomplice Jayjay Iveson, plotted to supply the illegal class B drug "MCAT".

Dixon was jailed for two-and-a-half years after he admitted that offence and three others. Lowery and Iveson each received 20-month sentences.

On a number of separate dates, police were said to have stopped the men at various locations in and around Appleby.

Drugs and paraphernalia were seized, along with cash and - in the case of Lowery - a debtors' list. Damning text messages were also recovered and provided proof of the conspiracy.

In addition there were deposits into Lowery's bank account, worth £6,343, which could not be explained.

Following the three men's convictions, police set about clawing back criminal cash from them.

At the crown court a judge approved the confiscation of thousands of pounds from Lowery and Dixon.

Recorder Philip Curran heard the pair had benefited from their illegal activity to the tune of £13,450.24 and £9,758.10 respectively.

An investigation by police revealed that Lowery, of Millerstone Rise, Kirkby Thore, had available assets of £6,403.68 which he has been ordered to surrender.

Dixon, of Scattergate Crescent, Appleby, must hand over the full £9,758.10.

Their confiscation amounts comprise the contents of bank accounts and also cash seized upon arrest.

Prison sentences will be imposed if the cash is not relinquished.

* Earlier this month, Iveson, of Norfolk Road, Penrith, was ordered to hand over £200 of assets he was found to have available. He was said to have profited from his offences to the tune of almost £4,700.