A gang who allegedly created an open market for drugs outside Ilford station stashed heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis across the town centre, a court heard.

Six men are on trial for conspiracy to supply the Class A and B substances between March and September last year at Blackfriars Crown Court.

The defendants deny the charges.

Yesterday the jury heard from three undercover British Transport Police (BTP) officers who purchased all three drugs from the gang in July.

They claimed the group co-ordinated a complex system, making buyers wait in public areas while members of the gang allegedly grabbed the order from their stashes around Ilford town centre.

On one occasion, a BTP officer known only as Tom, told the court that on July 20 he bought heroin from the gang after approaching them as they sat outside Costa Coffee in Cranbrook Road.

Defendant Edison Capa was part of this group, he claimed.

He stated he was led across Cranbrook Road and walked round to the William Hill betting shop in Ilford Hill.

There, he was told to wait while a gang member quickly retrieved two polythene wraps of heroin from a car park around the corner.

Other alleged deals took place in the alleyway by Bodgers, in Heron Mews and from a silver Mercedes parked at the top of Balfour Road.

A second undercover officer, known as Tam, told the jury that on July 12 he approached Klevis Locaj about purchasing “brown”, meaning heroin.

“I don’t know how long for brown because I don’t do that,” he claimed to be told.

“I have only weed. Wait here and I’ll find someone for you.”

Defending Mr Locaj, Michael Stradling pointed out his client had at no point offered to sell Tam heroin himself, nor had any intention of actually selling him some.

“‘Come later and I find heroin for you’ is merely simple sales patter,” he told Judge Henry Blacksell QC, as he claimed Mr Locaj had been hoping the undercover policeman would come back later and purchase more cannabis from him.

Mr Locaj sold Tam two bags of cannabis for £20, but insisted he had operated as a lone drug dealer and was not part of a conspiracy to supply harder drugs.

The trial continues.