A TEENAGER bought his cannabis in bulk to save costs, magistrates were told.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was fleeing police in the town centre when he dumped a rucksack containing 18 bags of cannabis, including six large bags of the herb.

But Swindon Youth Court heard that the substantial marijuana haul, the weight of which did not seem to have been recorded by police, was all for the boy’s own personal use.

Defending, Mark Glendenning compared his young client’s weed buying habits to the thrifty householder’s tendency to bulk buy toilet paper.

He said: “Cannabis is a product. It’s got a commercial value and as with any product, if you buy it in larger quantities it becomes cheaper.

“It’s not quite loo roll, perhaps, but there are economies of scale.”

The boy admitted possession. Magistrates fined him £116 and ordered he pay £60 in costs and victim surcharge.