A 25-YEAR-OLD man from a farming family received a conditional discharge after live cartridges were found in his car.

Dominic Reeve, of Coldmoor Cote Farm, Chopgate, near Stockton, admitted having the cartridges in his car on August 8 last year.

Reeve was given a six-month conditional discharge at Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The court heard that Reeve was unaware the cartridges were in the car when he parked it at Durham Tees Valley Airport.

He had driven one of the family cars, which had been used by his younger brothers the previous evening, to return to his temporary job in Ireland.

Chairman of the bench Alfred Walker said: "I think you have been very unfortunate - the victim of a set of circumstances."

The cartridges, as well as a number of spent rounds, were seen by a security guard.

Police were called and the car was found to belong to the family.

Richard Buchanan, mitigating, said his client's hobbies included rugby, football, cricket and golf.

He said: "He doesn't shoot. It doesn't appeal to him.

"He has no wish to do so and he has no appeal to firearms.

"It is rather unfortunate that he is here."

Mr Buchanan said Reeve's two brothers shot and had been lamping - shooting rabbits - the previous evening. It was they they who left the rounds in the car.

Since the family moved to the farm in September 2004, they estimated they had shot more than 2,000 rabbits.