Moment man brazenly does drug deal next to primary school

This is the moment a man was busted dealing drugs outside a primary school in Middlesbrough.

He was caught and convicted after police drone footage helped locate him, with the video then shared by the force on Facebook.

The school had also reported suspected drug dealing to the police.

In the clip, 58-year-old Robert Parsons can be seen interacting with two other individuals, whose identities have been obscured.

Parsons, from West Lane in Middlesbrough, met the suspected drug users beside the footbridge over the A66, near the local school, at around 2pm on January 13, 2026.

Wearing beige trousers, a black coat, and a black cap, he was observed by officers from the Middlesbrough Proactive Team taking out a purple tub from his pocket and handing over suspected drugs to the man and woman.

He then dips his head before walking away over the bridge above the road and down a woodland path, appearing to speak on his phone.

The drone tailed Parsons to an address, where a team of officers was able to arrest him.

Bodycam footage shared on social media by Cleveland Police shows a bewildered Parsons being handcuffed as an officer explains he is under arrest ‘on suspicion of being concerned in supplying class A drugs’.

Parsons is taken into his living room, where the officer adds: ‘Someone matching your description has just carried out what we suspect to be a drugs transaction, in the last 20 minutes or so.’

Yesterday, police confirmed that officers located two purple tubs containing heroin and another tub hidden in an oven mitt containing crack cocaine while searching the residence.

‘On Thursday, 9th July, Parsons was sentenced to an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years at Teesside Crown Court after being charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs,’ they added.

A second man, aged 55, was also arrested at the address, in possession of a wrap of suspected crack cocaine.

In a statement, Middlesbrough Proactive Team Sergeant John Sproson said: ‘Not only was Parsons dealing drugs in broad daylight in central Middlesbrough, he was doing it near to a local primary school in view of young children.

‘There was a blatant disregard shown for these children, and I am pleased that Parsons has now been sentenced.’

Of the technology used in apprehending Parsons, he added: ‘The police drone is an invaluable tool in our proactive approach to tackling crime in Middlesbrough; it is our eyes in the skies… and local criminals have been warned!’

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