AN off-duty police officer called in back-up when he believed he witnessed a young man dealing drugs from his car, a court was told.

Christopher Cox, aged 21, of Kingston Avenue, Worcester, admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply when he appeared before magistrates in Worcester.

Peter Love, prosecuting, said an off-duty officer was in Perdiswell skate park, off Droitwich Road, Worcester, on September 27 at about 4.20pm when he noticed a Vauxhall Corsa about 20ft away from him.

“He saw two young women approach the vehicle and the male driver was seen to pass some packet to the women in exchange for something which appeared to be money,” said Mr Love.

“From what he saw and from all the circumstances, he suspected this was drug dealing he had witnessed.”

The officer called for others to attend to assist.

A search was carried out under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Although they did not find anything, a dog and handler was called in to search the car.

Mr Love said: “Mr Cox said ‘I’m not going to lie to you – it’s under the driver’s seat’.”

Officers found a bag containing seven small, clear plastic bags, containing a quantity of cannabis.

The cannabis was seized and he was arrested.

Cox told police a female passenger who was with him had nothing to do with it.

Mr Love told the court: “He said to the police he hadn’t been smoking it – he said ‘I just sell it to make a profit because I owe people money’.

“That was recorded in an officer’s pocket notebook which Mr Cox later signed.”

Cox was also searched at the police station, where he produced another bag of cannabis, hidden in his sock.

He told police he owed £1,000 to various people and that he had got the drugs from someone in Diglis who had bought 14 packets of cannabis for £120 and planned to sell the bags for £10 each.

The seven bags contained 5.94g of cannabis. The eight wraps, including the one found in his sock, weighed 6.28g.

Sarah Brady, defending, said Cox had no recent convictions and said her client was a “hard-working young man” from a decent family.

Both his parents were in court to support him.

She said he struggled at school, leaving without any qualifications, although he did go on to gain some qualifications at college.

He has secured work through an agency on a zero hours contract in Defford and there was some prospect of it becoming permanent.

She said: “I would suggest this is a young man who has learned his lesson.

He bitterly regrets this and he assures the court it won’t happen again.”

He was given a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £60.