A jury in a drugs trial has heard how a team of police officers set up observation in Worcester.

The police bugged a van and undertook a covert surveillance involving up to seven officers, the jury at Worcester Crown Court was told.

John Butterfield, prosecuting, said the details of the surveillance taken from the notes of the officers involved had been agreed between the prosecution and defence and they were presented in the trial as he questioned several of the officers involved.

On one occasion, July 28, 2015, the jury heard, police made recordings of conversations and telephone calls in a white Renault van being driven by one of the accused, Ashley James with another, Todd Porter, as a passenger.

The van was tracked over a three hour period driving around Worcester and to Pershore one evening the jury heard.

The van stopped in Pershore and was met by a man known from phone conversations as "four eyes" and was then driven back to Worcester.

It was also tracked around the Hollymount Road area, Blanquettes Avenue, and Tunnel Hill.

A few days later on the evening of August 6, 2015, Mr Butterfield told the court, Samuel Mann, who has already been before the courts, was arrested.

Mr Butterfield said officers from the police observation team saw him driving a Renault Megane to the Diglis area where he was met by Todd Porter, who had travelled there by bicycle and was carrying a black rucksack.

Porter left on his bicycle and Mann drove away but was stopped later by police in Larkspur Avenue and arrested.

Police found 26.8 grams of cocaine worth between £2,240 and £2,800 in Mann's car and a search of his home revealed more traces of the drug.

Text messages were found on his phone relating to buying and selling drugs, Mr Butterfield said.

Lee Bryant, aged 49, of Selborne Road West, Barbourne, Worcester; David Warren, aged 41, of Grasmere Drive, Warndon, Worcester; Ashley James, aged 31, of Cherington Close, Worcester; Deborah Crowther, aged 50; Todd Porter, aged 31 and Tiffany Porter, aged 21, all of Hollymount Road, Tolladine, Worcester; James Jones, aged 42, of Tolladine Road, Worcester and Liam Pearson, aged 51, of Aylton Road, Liverpool deny conspiracy to supply cocaine between September 6, 2011, and October 6, 2015.

Warren also denies transferring criminal property, either drugs or money, in April 2015.

James, 31, and partner Elizabeth Cottle, aged 25, of Cherington Close, Worcester, deny conspiracy to conceal criminal property between 2011 and 2015. James also denies conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in October 2015.

The trial continues.