TWO former Dartford health clinic employees who illegally sold ‘addictive’ appetite suppressants have each been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Lisa Casey, 52, of Bridge Road, Slade Green, and Tracey Walsh, 50, of North End Road, Erith, illegally obtained more than 110,000 tablets over 10 months before police dismantled their £100,000 operation.

The pair pleaded guilty to four offences of possession with intent to supply and supply of class C controlled prescription drugs, phentermine and diethylpropion at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (Nov 5).

Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate investigated the pair and found Casey and Walsh had been employed at a slimming clinic in Lowfield Street in Dartford.

When they left the business in July 2012, they contacted the manufacturers who supplied the clinic and sent forged prescription to obtain the appetite suppressants.

They sold the drugs by mail order to customers throughout the UK and Ireland without any medical supervision and against government regulations.

Senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ady Brown said: “Casey and Walsh had set up their clinic with no safeguards or medical supervision.

“The profit available to them was substantial and they progressed with no regard to their customers’ healthcare and showed a total disregard to the Home Office regulations in respect of the supply of these prescription drugs.”

Passing sentence, His Honour Judge Statman said the prescription drugs in the case were both habit forming and addictive.