A local PCSO sniffed out drugs stashed in a mechanical engineer’s car, a court has heard.

Gwyndaf Rhys Jones, aged 27, of 5 The Terrace, Rosebush, pleaded guilty to possession of herbal cannabis when he appeared before Aberystwyth magistrates on Wednesday.

The court heard that a PCSO was speaking to a man at a Cardigan petrol station on November 16, when she noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from his car.

She called for assistance, and officers who arrived to search his vehicle found a package containing about 14 grams of herbal cannabis.

Janan Jones, defending, said her client had immediately cooperated with the police, and smoked the Class B drug to help him sleep.

She added: “He had 14 grams of cannabis for his own use to help him sleep, it would have taken him some time to smoke.”

Magistrates imposed a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered Jones to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge. A destruction order was made for the seized drugs.