THE caretaker of a well-known Burnley hotel was today starting a five-year jail term after part of a drugs haul worth almost £100,000 was found stashed away in the cellar.

Robert Paul Haworth was then working part-time at the Sparrow Hawk, Church Street, where police made the discovery after being alerted by other staff.

More drugs were later found tucked away at his Burnley home, Preston Crown Court heard.

Haworth, 59, a former licencee and widower, was not a drug addict, had no previous convictions and his own son

was said to have died from a suspected drugs overdose.

He claimed in court he was 'babysitting' the drugs for someone he would not name. The defendant, of Ightenhill Park Lane, Burnley, admitted possessing cocaine, cannabis resin, ecstasy and amphetamine worth at least £90,000 with intent to supply. The drugs were nothing to do with the hotel nor were any other staff involved.

The court was told on October 30, 2003, staff called police to the hotel after finding suspicious packages in the cellar. Officers searched the premises and seized four kilos of amphetamine and five kilos of cannabis resin.

About a week later police went back to the hotel and uncovered half a kilo of cocaine, 2000 ecstasy tablets, half a kilo of cannabis resin and 109 grammes of heroin. Haworth was arrested the next day at home where police found one and a quarter kilos of cannabis resin and £10,000 cash. Police are making further investigations into whether the money is the proceeds of drugs trafficking.

The court was told suspicion had fallen on the defendant after the first find at the hotel because although other staff members had keys to the cellar only he had access to both parts where the drugs were found.

Haworth claimed he was minding the drugs and was expecting some form of reward, but police had not been able to implicate anybody else as being involved.

His defence claimed he had been a successful licencee and had made enough money to retire on.

The defendant, who formerly ran the Miners Lamp pub in Pemberton, Wigan, and has worked in the licenced trade in East Lancashire, was suffering ill health and was due to undergo a heart bypass.