A prisoner who orchestrated a plot from his cell to flood Cumbria with drugs, has failed to convince top judges that his 13-year jail term was too harsh.

Patrick Michael White, who was sent to prison by a judge at Carlisle Crown Court last July, expressed relief when he was caught as it had become "too much" for him and he was "tired" of all the phone calls he was having to field, the court heard.

The 25-year-old, who grew up in Egremont, is serving a sentence at HMP Risley for possession with intent to supply cocaine, Judge Jeffrey Pegden QC told London's Appeal Court this week.

He was the "main man" who conducted the "large-scale drug supply and distribution operation" from his cell using illegally-held mobile phones.

The plot involved sourcing drugs from the north west – particularly Stockport, Manchester and Liverpool – to be distributed in Cumbria.

Police recovered cocaine, cannabis and MCat valued at £901,000.

White said he was "running himself to exhaustion with the long daily hours he was having to put in to run the operation", added Judge Pegden.

He admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, cannabis and MCat and two counts of possession of a mobile phone while in prison.

White was handed the 13-year sentence at Carlisle Crown Court on July 15 last year.

He got 12 years for the drug crimes and a consecutive one-year sentence for the mobile phone offences.

The judge who jailed him described the plot as "brazen and relentless" and said the drugs would cause "serious damage to communities".

White had made 26 previous court appearances for 49 crimes, the court heard.

He claimed his jail term was far too tough for one so young and that he should not have got a consecutive jail term for the mobile phones.

But Judge Pegden said White was 24 when he ran the conspiracy and was at the "centre of the operation".

The mobile phone offences "warranted a significant and separate sentence", added the judge.

"This renewed application for leave to appeal against sentence must be refused."