Dominic Sleightholme, who had a £50-a-day skunk cannabis habit, was caught by undercover police officers after he started selling heroin and crack cocaine in the street in Bradford to pay off debts.

The 21-year-old was jailed for 18 months for the drugs offences and a further three months for breaching a suspended prison sentence – four years after he had reached the regional finals of the Prince's Trust Celebrate Success event.

As a teenager Sleightholme, who had led a gang of youths targeting vulnerable people, was given an anti-social behaviour order.

Later he was nominated for the Yorkshire Forward Progression Award after turning his life around with help from the Prince's Trust.

Sleightholme, of Ingleby Place, Bradford, pleaded guilty to supplying heroin and crack cocaine in August last year and three similar offences last January during a police operation when he sold to undercover officers in Bradford.

His co-accused, Ishtiaq Ali, 24, of Central Avenue, Bradford, pleaded guilty to three charges of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. He was sentenced to 36 weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months and a year-long supervision order.

Ali was also ordered to undertake work at the YMCA and disqualified from driving for six months.

After the hearing, Peter Branson, the Prince's Trust regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "It's desperately sad if a young person slips back having come so far, but we will keep helping to change as many young lives as we can.

"We hope that Dominic will make every effort to move away from a life of crime and become a positive role model once again."