A man described as a "respected member" of his Bath community was this week jailed for 18 months for dealing crack cocaine.

Andrew Holcombe was caught with more than £2,000 worth of the prohibited drug at his home at Roundhill Park in Whiteway.

The 54-year-old said he had bought the drugs after receiving compensation for an accident and was sharing them with friends.

He admitted a charge of possessing a class A drug with intent and was jailed by a judge who said cocaine users in the UK were "encouraging a terrible trade".

Mary Harley, prosecuting at Bristol Crown Court, said that police had called on Holcombe's home at 6.40am on September 26 armed with a search warrant.

She said they had found 21.81g of cocaine in his room and £2,800 cash in the house, together with digital weighing scales.

Holcombe told police he had bought the crack cocaine in bulk and was supplying friends.

Charles Row, defending, said his client, a single father, was employed and respected in the community and it was unexpected that someone of his age and background would get involved with crack cocaine.

He said Holcombe turned to the drug after suffering a serious accident and becoming listless when he was laid up for six weeks.

Mr Row said acquaintances of his client had told him the drug might perk him up and he gave into temptation around the same time that he received £9,300 in compensation for the workplace accident.

Jailing Holcombe for 18 months, Judge James Tabor QC said: "This is a sad day because as a young man you got into quite a bit of trouble but sorted yourself out and have been leading an honest, industrious and pro-social life.

"It's quite apparent that you did come into some money at a time you were tempted, and I don't know why a 54-year-old was tempted to take crack cocaine. It is the most pernicious substance one comes across in these courts .

"The cocaine comes from central America and the path it takes is strewn with unhappiness, misery and death and everyone who takes cocaine in this country is encouraging a terrible trade."