South Shields grandad avoids prison after being caught with 17 wraps of cocaine

Police pulled over a Mercedes with Wayne Cummings behind the wheel and found cash in his pockets, a screw driver in the glove box and the class A drugs.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 50-year-old made no comment when questioned after he as stopped last August.

Cummings, of Dean Road, South Shields, who has previous convictions which include drugs offences, admitted possession of cocaine, which he had just purchased for his own use.

Sam Faulks, defending, said: "He has expressed remorse and regret. It is quite clear he also has insight into his offending, he can understand the impact it has on local communities."

Mr Faulks said Cummings has stopped taking drugs and has a good work ethic.

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Judge Robert Spragg sentenced Cummings to a community order for 12 months with 60 hours unpaid work.

Judge Spragg told him: "You said you had just purchased the drugs for your own consumption, at a time you were misusing cocaine every weekend. I have to sentence you on that basis and I do."