A MAN who travelled from his Liverpool home to Worcester was found with a stash of hard drugs within days of his arrival.

Police raided a house in Avon Road and arrested Andrew Stenson. Drugs with a street value of up to £800 were seized.

Stenson, aged 23, who also had £500 cash on him, had been given free rent in return for pushing drugs, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Jailing Stenson, of Clavell Road, Liverpool, for two-and- a-half years, Judge John Cavell said he was about to deal commercially to the public when he was caught.

He confiscated the seized cash and added: “Only custody is appropriate for those who deal in class A drugs.”

A search warrant was executed at the house on July 1, said Mary Wallace, prosecuting. Stenson, who admitted possession of drugs with intent to supply, had 40 wraps of heroin and 15 wraps of crack cocaine with him in a plastic bag. He had a conviction for drug possession in 2003 but had been given a conditional discharge.

Jason Patel, defending, said Stenson was “having difficulties” over a cannabis debt in Liverpool, which he denied.

He had come to Worcester three days before his arrest. "Unfortunately, he met people who gave him free rent in return for dealing. He very foolishly accepted,” he said.

Mr Patel said he lacked thinking skills and would use his time in jail to become better educated.