A drugs mule tasked with transporting 50kg of cocaine worth £4.5million from Warfield in order to pay off a £5,000 debt, was jailed this week. 

Joshua Anderson, 32, got into debt after a tumour on his bladder left him unable to work for three months and he was offered the chance to clear the £5,000 he owed by acting as a drugs courier.

At the last minute the father-of-three changed his mind and dumped two sports bags loaded with huge amounts of cocaine in a hedge in Staffordshire Croft, Warfield. 

However, the police were already alert to him, having spotted him speaking to a dealer and they arrested him when he went back to his car.

The cocaine found in Anderson's car and in the bags that he dumped had a wholesale value of £2.5million and a street value of £4.5million, Crown Court Judge Johanna Cutts was told. 

Anderson, of The Glen, in Kempton, Bedfordshire, admitted being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug and faces five years behind bars after his sentencing at Reading Crown Court on Monday.

Robert Lindsey, prosecuting, told the court that Anderson came to police officers' attention while acting "in a nervous and suspicious manner" in an area that he said was "well known for drug dealing."

Another man - who has not been identified or arrested - approached his red Vauxhall Astra car with a black holdall bag and together they drove away.

On searching Anderson's Vauxhall hire car, police found two Slazenger sports bags containing a large number of packages the size of VHS tapes and charged him with being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug.

The court was told that Anderson has two convictions for seven offences, al of which, bar one for theft, are for minor motoring matters.

Giuseppina Silvio, defending, said Anderson only agreed to carry out the drug running operation as a means of sorting out his finances.

The court heard that Anderson had asked officers not to name the person who had loaned him the £5,000 over concerns for his personal safety.

Miss Silvio said: "He's a young man who, unfortunately, in December 2012 suffered a tumour on his bladder. He was in hospital for some time and was unable to work for three months.

"His partner, and mother of their three children, although she worked part time, had to survive by use of their overdraft, up to £10,000.

"He asked someone if he would loan him £5,000. 

"The debts were now £15,000. In discussions with this particular person, it was suggested there would be a way he could repay that loan. He wasn't told the entire details, but he accepts he must have suspected it was something untoward."

Passing sentence at Reading Crown Court, Judge Cutts told Anderson: "It is a sorry tale. Class A drugs cause misery to very many people. There's misery of addiction to the individuals involved; there's misery to society as those addicted beg and steal to feed their habit.

"You've clearly placed your family in a very difficult position; in every way you've made matters worse."