TEENAGE drugs runner Christopher Cox has been jailed for two years after he was caught ferrying more than £5,000 worth of cannabis across Swindon.

The 18-year-old, of Heywood Close, Penhill, who was also banned from driving at the time was caught with the 1.8kg haul when stopped for speeding on the Great Western Way.

Mark Worsley, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court police in a marked patrol car stopped Cox shortly after 10pm on April 9.

"An officer saw a plastic bag on the rear seat and a further one in the front of the vehicle," he told the court.

"Each of the bags contained skunk cannabis weighing, in total, just over 1.8kg with a value of £1,200 wholesale or in street deals of 1oz just over £5,000."

When he was questioned by police Cox said he was to be paid £100 for delivering the drugs and had done it twice before in the previous ten days.

At an earlier hearing Cox, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply, two counts of supplying it, driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Rob Ross, defending, said Cox had agreed to ferry drugs around town because he was in debt to drug dealers.

He said: "The suggestion was put to him, that in order to safeguard himself, he might like to carry cannabis from A to B."

Jailing him, Judge Charles Wade said: "The motivation for carrying drugs for payment was to make money to pay off a considerable drug debt.

"It could be said that it is 'only cannabis' but those who get involved with cannabis go on to much more serious drugs."