AN 'unsavoury' dealer that goes by the name of Nemo is running a drugs line in Basingstoke, a court has heard.

The man is the kingpin of a major county lines network operating in the town, according to an addict.

Olamide Soyege is currently standing trial for the murder of Taylor Williams in Oakridge last August, after a drug deal gone wrong.

He told Winchester Crown Court on Friday that people were scared of Nemo - a dealer who moves class A drugs from London into Basingstoke.

"I wouldn't say I'm scared, but there's some people you don't talk about," the 29-year-old said when being cross-examined by Tana Adkin QC.

When asked to described the shadowy figure, Soyege said: "The word unsavoury comes to mind."

Miss Adkin told the court that Nemo placed Terence Maccabee, also accused of the murder of Mr Williams, in Basingstoke to deal drugs for him.

Maccabee, whose father had died, was just 18 at the time he was asked to do this.

He was paid in cannabis, small amounts of money and food, she said.

"Terence's purpose for being there was to deal drugs from time to time on behalf of Nemo," Miss Adkin continued. "Nemo would get his drugs from London and come down, he'd be there. He would send Terence out to sell drugs and bring the money back."

She also said that Nemo would 'cuckoo' houses of drugs users.

Cuckooing is where a drug dealer takes over the home of a vulnerable addict and uses it as a base of operations; to distribute and store drugs.

Maccabee would be asked to go to the cuckooed houses and make exchanges.

Maccabee and Soyege both deny charges of murder, robbery, conspiracy to rob and knife possession. The trial continues.

In September, a court heard how Basingstoke had an "appalling drugs problem".

Charles Gabb told Portsmouth Crown Court that “three drugs lines [were] working simultaneously in Basingstoke by the name of Monster, Bestie and Nemo".

Additionally, Winchester Crown Court were told how Taylor Williams was a representative of the Ray network.

And in August, eight members of the G 423 county lines network based in Popley were sentenced.