A man who duped an unsuspecting golf club professional into looking after a golf bag stuffed with thousands of pounds of Class A drugs is understood to have been a member of a notorious firm of football hooligans.

After tricking his victim, Michael Morgan later used the Manston Golf Centre car park to hand the bag with £48,000 cash and one-and-a-half kilos of cocaine to a courier to take to drug dealers in Liverpool.

But the dad-of-three did not realise he was under police surveillance - and he was later arrested for his involvement in the illegal deal, when he was given a bag with two kilos of cocaine in exchange.

It has since emerged the 58-year-old - known as Micky - was a member of the notorious Inter City Firm of hooligans associated with West Ham United.

Now Morgan, of St Lawrence Chase, Ramsgate, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years for his role in the enterprise.

Canterbury Crown Court heard officers later raided his home and discovered £1,000 in cash and £28,000 worth of drugs, which he was planning to sell to pay for a holiday.

Judge Rupert Lowe was told that in recent years Morgan had done charitable work.

As a result, his jail sentence was reduced by the judge, who had read 15 pages of testimonies in support of Mr Morgan.

Prosecutor Edmund Fowler had told how in May 2017 police were watching Manston Golf Centre when a driver in a Vauxhall Astra arrived in the car park.

Morgan was then spotted taking a black Adidas sports bag from the clubhouse to the driver, receiving another bag in exchange.

Mr Fowler said the Astra was stopped by officers in Greensole Lane and the bag, which was padlocked, was opened and found to contain £48,000 in cash and cocaine.

He said police then went into the golf club and retrieved a second bag containing more cocaine which had been left on the club bar.

Mr Fowler said the club’s golf pro spoke with Morgan in the afternoon and was asked if he would look after the Adidas bag for a couple of hours.

In March, a drugs courier was stopped on his way to Liverpool with £70,000 in cash in a bag – Morgan’s DNA was found on the packing.

He admitted possessing illegal drugs and laundering drugs money and was given a seven-and-a-half-year sentence. The drugs had a total street value of £400,000.

Two others, who were couriers, have also been sentenced for money laundering offences.

Judge Lowe told Morgan: “In my opinion you were deeply involved in this operation.”

Defence barrister Laura Stephenson said in recent years Morgan had become involved in fundraising by running auctions for West Ham United and was a "valued member" of North Foreland Golf Club.

Morgan now faces a financial investigation by police and a judge will decide next year how much he pocketed from the drugs.