A drug dealer has been jailed for more than eight years after he was caught with a stolen £1 million painting from a Cookham art gallery, as well as £450,000 worth of drugs.

Detectives found the painting, called Cookham from Englefield, which had been stolen from the Stanley Spencer Gallery, in the High Street in 2012, after they raided Harry Fisher’s home in Seven Kings Way, Kingston-upon-Thames.

The 28-year-old was arrested after he was stopped in a Mercedes with accomplice Zak Lal, 32, in Strood, Kent, in June, by the Metropolitan Police’s organised crime command detectives.

Officers carried out a drugs search of the vehicle and found one kilogram of cocaine and £30,000 in cash, as well as a knife on Lal.

Lal, of Columbine Road, Strood, Rochester, was also arrested and jailed for five years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and acquiring criminal property, and admitting a charge of possession of an offensive weapon in relation to the knife he had.

Fisher pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and acquiring criminal property, as well as a charge of handling stolen goods after the painting was found at his flat.

Police also found three kilograms of cocaine and 15,000 ecstasy tablets following the search.

Fisher’s family address in Fulham was also searched and police found a further quantity of Class A drugs and £40,000 in cash.

The total street value of the drugs was estimated to be around £450,000.

A search of Lal’s family address revealed £2,000 in cash and a number of cheap, disposable mobile phones.

Detective inspector Andy Whitewood, of the Met’s organised crime command, said: “These two men were caught in possession of a considerable amount of Class A drugs as the result of a proactive investigation targeting high end, organised drug supply.

“A search of Fisher's address revealed a stolen £1m painting – this demonstrates the link between drugs trafficking and serious, acquisitive crime.

“I am pleased to say that the painting has now been returned to the art gallery from where it was stolen.

“The guilty pleas entered by both men were due to the weight of the evidence against them and are a testimony to the depth of the investigation.

“The sentences handed to these defendants should act as a deterrent to anyone else involved in the supply of illegal drugs.”

A spokesman for the Stanley Spencer Gallery said: “The Stanley Spencer Gallery volunteers are immensely grateful to the various police sections who have contributed to the recovery of this remarkable painting, which was stolen from us more than five years ago.”