A man who was a drug runner in Watford has been jailed for 32 months.

Benjamin Phillips, 26, lasted just three days in the “job” before police pulled him up in the car he was driving and found 18 wraps of cocaine inside the vehicle.

On Tuesday, St Albans Crown Court was told Phillips had started selling the drugs as a way of clearing his own drugs debt.

Phillips pleaded guilty to possessing the cocaine with intent to supply, possession of cannabis and possessing criminal property, namely 515 pounds, most of which was found inside the car hidden in the sun visor.

Back at his home in Lapwing Place, Watford, police found a set of scales, self sealed bags and cling film.

Charles Ingham, prosecuting, said it was on February 29 this year at about 2.40pm when two officers on patrol in Watford spotted a blue Vauxhall Astra car in Harwood Road which they decided to follow.

In Stephenson Way, they ordered the car to stop and behind the wheel was Phillips.

It was the tell-tale smell of cannabis inside the vehicle that prompted the officers to carry out a further search and the drugs were discovered.

Questioned back at Watford Police Station, he admitted he was a “runner” and said he would pick up quantities of cocaine and drive it to customers.

He said he had been doing the job for just three days but said he wouldn’t give the name of the dealer he was working for.

The court heard the car had been hired for Phillips to drive by others.

Judge Stephen Warner was told each wrap of cocaine would be sold for £40 and at the end of each day, Phillips would return what wraps he hadn’t sold along with the money he had made. His cut was £80 a day.

Some £480 had been found inside the car which Phillips said had come from dealing.

Back at his home was another 35 pounds in cash along with scales and sealed bags.

Phillips was said to have started work as a runner as a way of paying back his own debt to a drug dealer. Passing sentence Judge Warner told him that those who dealt in Class A drugs could expect custodial sentences.

He said such drugs led to “misery and degradation” for users.