Drug user Cameron Diaz of Broomfield Rise, Abbots Langley, has sworn to clean up his act with the help of his stepfather.

Appearing at both St Albans Magistrates' Court and St Albans Crown Court in the same day, the troubled teenager finished the afternoon with a total of 300 hours of unpaid work to complete.

Diaz, who has a history of offending, went first before a crown court judge for sentencing of possession of cannabis with intent to supply, after being caught in October last year, and running from a taxi without paying on January 14.

He also faced a third charge of possessing cannabis last month.

But Judge Martin Griffith decided to suspend the eight month sentence in a young offenders institute for 18 months after Diaz's stepfather told the court that from now he would be intervening.

He admitted not being as involved with the 19-year-old as he should have been over the past few years, and claimed it was "as much his fault as mine".

He added that he would personally ensure Diaz completed every hour of the 125 hours unpaid work that he was also handed, and said he would take the £350 costs out of his wages after giving him a job with his landscaping firm.

The judge warned Diaz that this was final chance, and ordered that any further appearance at Crown Court would be made in front of him - which would see him sent to prison.

Hours later he made his second appearance of the day, this time at magistrates' court for breaching a community order that had been imposed earlier in the year.

He had missed appointments with his probation officer and failed to attend two sessions of community service in June, because he said he didn't have the money to get there.

The magistrates increased the hours of unpaid work from 164 to 175.

Defence solicitor Matthew Bliss told the court: "Mr Diaz's stepfather is very serious about ensuring his stepson pays his debts to society and stays away from crime. With that support this is his chance to start again."