A COMMERCIAL "bubble" dealer who had a stash and drugs cash in his van is starting an eight month jail term.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Tom Kennedy, 29, was in possession of mephedrone, £500 and a mobile phone which had text messages with people asking him to supply drugs on.

Kennedy, who was selling to fund his own habit, had been stopped by police in the early hours of May 9, last year.

The defendant, formerly of Marsden Street, Accrington, admitted possessing mephedrone with intent to supply.

Silvia Dacre, prosecuting, said in the back of the van was a tub with two bags of bubble in. The defendant also had a small container of the drug on a key ring. Altogether, he was in possession of 17.28 grams of the drug, worth up to £340 on the streets.

When Kennedy was questioned, he claimed the drugs were for his own use and that the phone could have been used by anybody.

The defendant had 23 previous convictions, but none for drugs. The hearing was told he had "persistently breached court orders."

Kevin Preston, for Kennedy, said he had never been to custody.

The solicitor said: "He accepts he has placed himself in great jeopardy."

The court heard Kennedy had now moved out of the area to make a fresh start and to get away from his former influences.

Mr Preston added:" He has stopped taking the drug himself and it was obviously the root cause of all his offending behaviour. He has the offer of employment."

The solicitor continued :" He does present as a man genuinely worried about the prospect of imprisonment."

Sentencing, Recorder Maurice Greene said mephedrone was a pernicious drug and caused misery to those supplied it.

The judge said he accepted the defendant was dealing to people who were mephedrone users. He continued: "This was drug dealing with a commercial element, shown by the cash that you had, the fact that you had these drugs on you and the mobile phone messages."