A Melksham man who was caught with drugs worth nearly £50,000, which were hidden in his loft, has been jailed for five years.

John Pellier had almost 7,000 ecstasy tablets as well as thousands of pounds worth of cocaine and amphetamines, all destined for the streets of west Wiltshire.

Police raided the 37-year-old body builder's home in The Friars on October 10 to search for illegal anabolic steroids, a judge at Swindon crown court heard. But when officers went into the small attic they were confronted by a hoard of illicit drugs.

As well as the ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines they also found a small amount of cannabis resin and an array of drug dealer's paraphernalia.

Alan Fuller, prosecuting, said Pellier had a large amount of self-seal plastic bags, two sets of electronic scales and spoons and knives which had traces of white powder on them.

They also found notebooks containing what appeared to be calculations to do with weights and caffeine and lactose powder, which are used to bulk up powdered drugs and boost profits.

Mr Fuller said in total officers recovered 6,897 ecstasy tablets which would cost £17,242 to buy in bulk but are worth £41,382 in street deals giving a potential profit of more than £24,000.

He said the 42.2 grams of cocaine recovered in two batches had a street value of £2,321 and 231 grams of amphetamines, which was stored in a bucket, was worth £2,310.

The cannabis, which weighed 15.8 grams, is worth £56 making the total street value of the drugs £46,069. Officers also seized £1,150 in cash.

Mr Fuller said when Pellier was questioned he admitted having the drugs saying they belonged to someone else and he was just acting as a custodian.

At a previous hearing, Pellier pleaded guilty to four charges of possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Sarah Regan, defending, said her client, who had no previous convictions, accepted he was facing a lengthy prison sentence.

She said he was paid by a friend for the services of using his loft and he also packaged the drugs for him.

"He would receive a telephone call and he would be told what to package up and he would package up and hand back to the person for whom he was storing," she said.

"When the police raided his home they had a warrant not for these drugs but for anabolic steroids as he was a weight lifter and that was what he was involved in."

She said he was a family man and while his family were devastated they had come to court to support him.

Jailing him for five years, Judge Tom Longbotham said: "Those who are tempted to engage in this sort of activity must realise what they have got themselves into.

"The supply of these drugs in this area of west Wiltshire is a real problem. Those who involve themselves in this must realise there will be substantial sentences."

He also ordered the confiscation and destruction of the drugs and paraphernalia and the seizure of the cash.