A DESPERATE drug addict managed to hide £250 of cocaine under a police car – only to be caught by officers as he tried to retrieve his stash.

Dean Ludlow, of Deerhurst Close, Severn Stoke, near Worcester, admitted having £10 of cannabis bush and up to £250 of cocaine on him, and breaching an 18-week suspended jail term at Worcester Magistrates Court.

The 39-year-old was caught by police after a tip-off about four men acting suspiciously in Cranham Drive in Warndon late on Friday, July 8.

He was searched at Warndon police post, Worcester, but “became obstructive” according to police and was instead driven to Worcester police station for a full strip search.

“On the journey over he was visibly agitated and fidgeting with the left side of his trousers,” said Matt Dodson, prosecuting.

Despite a search, nothing was found and he was released but a police sergeant saw him go around the back of the police station to where the marked squad cars are parked, where he started looking underneath the vehicles.

“He was challenged by police officers but ran off,” said Mr Dodson. He was chased down, stopped and admitted having the drugs – which he had thrown away in the pursuit.

In interview “he accepted he had a packet of drugs between his buttocks and while being transferred it fell down his trouser leg and as he got out of the squad car he flicked the bag with his foot, out of the vehicle,” said Mr Dodson.

When he left the police station he made the mistake of going back for the drugs. He told police he was planning to take the drugs at raves in Birmingham being held that weekend.

Jason Patel, representing Ludlow, said the offences put his client in breach of a burglary jail term from June last year, which had been suspended for 18 months. He said Ludlow was trying to break his drug addiction.

Magistrates fined him £50 apiece for each drug offence and added three months to the suspension of the suspended sentence, ordering him to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.