A man has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after being caught carrying a bag of cocaine with a street value of about £20,000.

Nicholas Currie, of Mallard Way, Lower Stoke, was found with the hoard of Class A drug at Selhurst Railway Station in South East London, in April.

Currie, 25, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court earlier this month after being found guilty of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

He also had on him a small quantity of cannabis and was also charged with possession of a Class B drug.

Currie was caught during a British Transport Police routine drugs operation at the station.

A plain clothes officer spotted Currie get off a train before he got back on the train immediately as he had spotted having spotted a number uniformed officers there.

When approached by the officer and asked why he had re-boarded the train so suddenly, Currie told them he had got off at the wrong stop.

After then admitting that he did not have a valid ticket, Currie accompanied the officer and walked towards the officers conducting the drugs operation.

As Currie neared them, a drugs dog indicated that he may have been in contact with an illegal substance, at which point Currie attempted to flee the station.

Following a short chase, officers caught up with him on Selhurst Road and he was arrested.

A search of the drawstring sports bag he was carrying revealed three large lumps of white powder, contained within a plastic bag, pictured, along with the small bag of cannabis.

The substance found in the bag were sent for forensic tests, with results showing that Currie had been carrying 250g of cocaine, with an estimated street value of between of about £20,000.

He was also carrying 0.55g of cannabis, valued at £20.

DC Mike Stephenson, said: “Hopefully this case will serve as a strong reminder of the fact that if you intend to use the railways to transport drugs there is a good chance you will be arrested and sent to prison as a result.”