Police planted secret cameras in woods to spy on a drug dealer's heroin stashes, a court heard.

Detectives also bugged Stanley Simons' car to listen in as he supplied drugs in Brighton and Hove.

One of his stashes was hidden in woods close to the Sainsbury's superstore on the Hangleton Link Road in Hove.

Undercover police watched as Simons was seen entering the woods and then doing deals in the store's car park in 2006.

Two days after he was arrested, his friends, Gary McCulloch, 51, and Penelope McCulloch, 47, were recorded in the woods by covert cameras.

David Scutt, prosecuting, alleged the McCullochs were there to move the £9,000 haul of drugs from where Simons had hidden it.

A second stash was buried in woods close to the Upper Lodge car park off Ditchling Road, Hollingbury.

Police concealed in a nearby van filmed Simons going into the woods and emerging a short time later.

Footage from hidden a hidden camera in the woods showed Simons going to the drugs and appearing agitated.

Mr Scutt said: "Police had gone to the nearby Asda store and replaced the heroin with brown powder they bought there."

Simons had other heroin stashes hidden at the Mill House pub in Mill Lane, Portslade, and flats in Brighton and Hove.

He was watched as he picked people up from Hove station and drove them to collect drugs they had bought from him.

Mr Scutt alleged that Gareth Brown, 44, of Barnmead, Haywards Heath, was taken to the Mill House by Simons on July 26, 2006.

He was driven back to Hove station where he met his ex-partner Chrissy in The Station pub.

It is alleged he supplied part of a £150 heroin deal he picked up from the Mill House to her before returning to Haywards Heath.

Mr Scutt said Simons and others have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Brown denies being part of the conspiracy and also possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

The McCullochs, of Brittany Road, Hove, deny conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

The jury is due to visit woodland at Benfield Valley close to Sainsbury's today to see where the drugs were hidden.

The trial continues.