A disgraced former police officer has been jailed after he prepared fake drug wraps using granulated sugar to cover up his failure to investigate a case properly.

Daniel Jackson, 28, of Gorse Close, Lakenheath, a serving Suffolk officer at the time, used fake wraps to disguise not properly investigating three suspects over drugs offences.

They were also found with £800 in a stop-and-search in Newmarket on October 20 last year.

Norwich Crown Court was told Jackson seized three or four wraps of what was believed to be drugs but failed to submit them for analysis.

He also let the suspects keep the £800 cash found in the car.

Jackson was sentenced on Tuesday (November 24) having admitted misconduct in a public office, and attempting to pervert the course of justice on March 4 this year.

Jail Jackson for 12 months, Recorder Caroline Goodwin said his behaviour that night was “nothing short of disgraceful”.

She said: “It gives me no pleasure to have to sentence you today for what are extremely serious offences. They are all the more serious as you well know because it relates to your duties as a police officer.

“What’s extremely important is that the general public at all times have confidence in those who are administering justice and you fell well short of that.”

Recorder Goodwin said Jackson, who appeared upset in the dock, had “manufactured evidence” by putting fake wraps in a bag as part of a “complete and utter charade”.

The court previously heard from Lynne Shirley, prosecuting, that questions were raised when an officer he was tutoring found matters had not been booked in and drugs not sent for analysis.

Miss Shirley said Jackson lied to colleagues and then claimed to have found the missing drugs in an evidence bag when in fact he had just put three wraps containing sugar in the bag to cover up the fact he had thrown the drugs away.

When asked about the matter she said he claimed that he had panicked and made up the three wraps with sugar to take the pressure off at work.

The court heard that Jackson had been a police officer since 2013 and worked as a patrol officer based at Mildenhall.

Carolina Bracken, for Jackson, said he had just got a bombshell text from his girlfriend ending their relationship moments before attending the incident.

She said that he suffered a “violent” reaction and everything became too much for him.