THREE Merseyside police officers were today behind bars after selling drugs seized on raids to a dealer.

Sgt Darren Burns, 32, and PC Andrew Bird, 34, must serve four years each for their part in the £77,000 plot.

PC Clive French, 33, was jailed for six years. Their dealer, John Brennan, was handed a three-year term.

Liverpool Crown Court heard last year the three officers were involved in Merseyside Police’s drug dealing crackdown Operation Hawk.

Kevin Donnelly, prosecuting, told how, on April 22, 2009, police raided a house in Whitman Street, Wavertree, and found two cannabis farms being cultivated in the upstairs bedrooms.

Mr Donnelly explained force policy was to keep two or three of the plants for evidential reasons and get rid of the rest of the crop.

It was to be bagged up and taken to St Anne Street police station, the court heard, where it was supposed to be dumped in a skip before being destroyed.

The court was told PC Colin White – who was cleared by a jury of being involved in the plan – took five stuffed bin-bags from the house in a white Transit van.

But, instead of heading to St Anne Street, he drove to Litherland, where he met Bird, French and Burns who were off duty that day.

They then drove in convoy to Bird’s home in Whitewood Park, Fazakerley, where, Mr Donnelly said, the heads of the plants were harvested.

Brennan, 46, of Orrell Lane, Walton, was a friend of Bird’s and the drugs – worth around £45,000 on the street – were later dropped at his, the court was told.

For that the officers were paid £500 each, Mr Donnelly said.

The court was then told on May 9, Burns and French raided a property in Maud Street, Toxteth, after a tip-off there was a cannabis farm inside.