A convicted Liverpool drug dealer will rue his love of stilton for the next 13 years and six months after a picture of cheese which he posted online lead to his arrest.

Carl Stewart was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in recent weeks after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and other drugs.

Stewart was identified by Merseyside Police after he posted a picture of his hand holding a block of Stilton cheese from Marks & Spencer under an anonymous username to the encrypted messaging service EncroChat.

Using this image, police were able to analyse his fingerprints and identify Stewart as the person behind the username ‘Toffeeforce’ - a reference to Everton Football Club.

Police said Stewart used the encrypted app to supply large amounts of class A and B drugs, police said.

Around 60,000 users of encrochat have been identified worldwide, with about 10,000 of them in the UK – all involved in coordinating and planning the supply and distribution of drugs and weapons, money laundering and other criminal activity, Merseyside Police said.

Detective Inspector Lee Wilkinson said: “Carl Stewart was involved in supplying large amounts of class A and B drugs, but was caught out by his love of Stilton cheese, after sharing a picture of a block of it in his hand through encrochat.

“His palm and fingerprints were analysed from this picture and it was established they belonged to Stewart.

“Stewart was handed a substantial sentence of 13 years and six months, and this should serve as a stark warning to anyone involved in this criminality that there are serious consequences,” DI Williamson said.