FOUR Hampshire heroin dealers were spared jail because a judge wants to help them break the addiction that fuels their offending.

Judge Andrew Barnett said tackling the root causes of the peddling was in society's interests.

But a fifth dealer, Adam Pieri, was not so lucky as the judge jailed him for two years and nine months.

All five were snared in an undercover police operation in Winchester last spring, the city's crown court was told.

It was launched because of the city's bad record for heroin deaths.

Judge Barnett told 30-year-old Pieri, unemployed, of Fivefields Road in Highcliffe, in Winchester, that there was no alternative to prison because of his bad record.

Pieri pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying a class A drug, namely heroin, with a street value of £80. Pieri, a beggar, sold the drug to an undercover police officer.

Dawn Hyland, prosecuting, said all those arrested had been low-level street dealers who were also addicts.

The judge told the other four dealers that he was imposing community supervision orders with drugs rehabilitation requirements. If any fail they will be facing jail sentences of two to three years.

Aaron McKeown, 25, of Dever Close in Micheldever, received a 12-month supervision order and a 12-month drugs rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to six counts of supplying heroin.

Neil Griffiths, 28, of Pitmore Road in Allbrook, received an 18-month supervision order and a nine-month drugs rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to six counts of supplying heroin.

Paul Wild, 24, of Hyde Street in Hyde, was given an 18-month supervision order with 12 months' rehabilitation after pleading guilty to four counts of supplying heroin.

Ben Tudor, 21, of Middle Brook Street in Winchester, received an 18-month supervision order with nine months' rehabilitation after pleading guilty to six counts of supplying heroin and two of crack cocaine.

All four men are back in court on February 16 for a progress check with the judge.