A heroin trafficker ordered to stump up more than £430,000 he made from "dealing in death" has failed in an Appeal Court bid to win back some of his

ill-gotten gains.

Ronald Compton, 40, of Surrenden Road, Brighton, was part of a family business purveying heroin to the city's junkies which was finally crushed by a huge police operation.

He was jailed for eight years in April 1999 for possessing heroin and cannabis with intent to supply.

His father, also Ronald, 59, and his brothers Sean, 29, Stephen, 39, and Robert, 37, are also serving lengthy prison sentences for their part in the evil trade.

In September 1999 a £286,000 confiscation order was made against Ronald Compton Junior after a judge ruled the money represented the proceeds of drug trafficking.

But that figure was in November last year revised upwards by almost £150,000 to a total of more than £435,000.

His counsel Mr Nicholas Valios QC, argued yesterday at London's Appeal Court that the revised confiscation order violated his fundamental rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

But Mr Justice Buckley rejected the challenge, saying confiscation orders are "necessary in the pursuit of a legitimate aim" - to strip drug traffickers of their ill-gotten gains.

He said it was clear the money represented drug dealing profits and rejected claims that there had been an unfair delay in revising the confiscation order.

The judge, sitting with Lord Justice Rose and Mr Justice Curtis, ruled the 1994 Drug Trafficking Act, under which the confiscation order was made, was a "proportionate response" to the evil of drugs and was not incompatible with the Human Rights Convention.

Refusing permission for Compton to challenge the confiscation order, he said any appeal would have no real prospect of success.

Confiscation orders totalling more than £1.3 million were also made against Ronald Compton Senior and Sean Compton in July this year after both were convicted and jailed.