A man caught with hundreds of pounds worth of amphetamines has been ordered to do 240 hours of community service.

Duncan Pike had the drugs, many set out in individual wraps, at his home when the police raided in August last year.

But after hearing how the 44-year-old only shared them with his former partner and one of her friends, who paid him costs for them, he was put on a community order.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court how the drugs, worth up to £1,027.50 at street value, were found during the raid.

As well as the drugs she said a mobile phone which had ‘incriminating messages’ on it was also recovered.

Pike, of St Mary’s Grove, Gorse Hill, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client accepted on two or three occasions in the couple of months before his arrest he sold some of the drugs to a friend at cost price.

He also allowed his former partner, who he still shared a house with, to dip into his supply of drugs.

“This is the first time this man has been before the court. He has accepted a very low level of what one could call dealing in the sense that he has supplied someone known to him on several occasions” he said.

“He is accepting that tacitly he supplied his ex-girlfriend because she would dip into his own supply.”

He said he was a long term user and worked away during the week in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria.

Passing sentence, Judge Euan Ambrose said “The thing that brings you here is that you have a long standing, 20 years’ standing, amphetamine habit.”

He imposed a one year community order with supervision as well as the community order as well as forfeiting £1,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.