A DRUG dealer who was found with cocaine worth up to £5k in his kitchen cupboard has been jailed.

Jack Ramsey, from Shildon, in County Durham, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of MDMA.

The drugs were seized from his home in Thornhill Gardens last September, along with mobile phones and £180 in cash.

Police found a white powder in his kitchen cupboard, which turned out to be 51 grams of cocaine hydrochloride.

Durham Crown Court heard the purity of the powder was not tested but it had a street value of between £2,5000 and £5,110.

Jonathan Harley, mitigating, said Ramsey had been a long term user of cocaine and MDMA and his use had spiralled, leading him to get into debt with his dealer.

Mr Harley added: "He was offered the chance to sell it and he took it."

Since being arrested, the court heard the 29-year-old, who is a father-of-two, has stopped taking drugs and has been working with Durham Police's Checkpoint scheme.

Mr Harley added: "This is a man who has unfortunately gone bad. He can't blame anyone else for it but it's something that's out of character in the grand scheme of things."

Judge Christopher Prince gave him a 28-month sentence.

He said: "You were trying to displace your problem onto other people. If you gave other people cocaine they would become addicted and into debt and they might become dealers as well.

"You were still willing to inflict that harm on other people."