A MIDDLE-AGED addict caught with heroin and crack cocaine he was selling to fund his habit has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Paul White had the hard drugs when he was spotted by police community support officers walking close to his Rodbourne home on Friday, January 30.

Though the 52-year-old dropped the substances in a neighbour's front garden, his attempted sleight of hand was spotted.

And after calling in a sniffer dog they found the package, which contained 40 wraps of the drugs, worth £600.

White, of Rose Street, pleaded not guilty to possessing 6.59g of cocaine and 1.37g of diamorphine, the chemical name for heroin, with intent to supply.

But following a short trial at Swindon Crown Court earlier this month a jury convicted him of both matters.

He had told them that the drugs found were not his but they didn't believe him and found him guilty.

The officers had told how after spotting White hurl the package into a garden he came up to them and commented that he had not been trouble for a long time.

But realising something was wrong they called in a dog handler to track down the drugs.

The court was told that White was put on a suspended sentence buy the justices in June for another matter committed after his arrest.

Tony Bignall, defending, said his client, who despite a long list of previous convictions had nothing for drug dealing, realised he was facing a jail term.

He said: "He is 52 years old and this is the first time he has been convicted of anything like that.

"It is quite apparent he has a long history of drug involvement. The probation officer says they can't help because of a history on noncompliance with a previous order.

"An offence like this was the only means of funding his habit. He has been to prison before and he knows he is going to prison today.

"Bearing in mind his age, and mental health problems, I ask you to consider the length.

"I can only ask that Your Honour please treat him gently bearing in mind Your Honour's hands are tied with respect of the disposal.

Jailing him Judge Peter Blair QC said: "I have to sentence you for the offence that the jury convicted you of, on strong evidence, of you possessing crack cocaine and diamorphine with intent to supply others.

"The guideline sentences for people who are involved in a significant role in supplying, at street level, cocaine and heroin is four and half years imprisonment.

"You have a bad list of previous convictions, mainly not drugs cases, though they have tried in the past to help you with drug addiction with drug rehabilitation requirements.

"But you have kept offending and this was a serious amount, particularly of the crack, that was seized from you and these is no alternative but to send you to prison.

"I have come to the conclusion, having heard what I heard about you in trial and what is said by Mr Bignall, that I can put you at the bottom level."