A father who hid thousands of pounds worth of drugs in his home has been jailed.

Tahir Idrees, 32, of Hope Street, in Macclesfield, was arrested after a police operation led them to search his home, last year.

The court heard how he had been holding ‘packages’ for an unnamed man, after he was offered £150.

It was heard that when police searched Idrees’s home they found a carrier bag containing four and a half ounces of cocaine.

Officers then found a black holdall under his bed, which contained 125 grams of Benzocaine, which is often added to cocaine to then sell on.

The court heard that the cocaine was 71 per cent pure and worth between £4,000 and £7,000.

However, if it was cut with the Benzocaine it could be worth between £14,000 and £30,000. Police also discovered £40, 170 euros and 1,750 rupees in cash, during their search.

The prosecution told the hearing Idrees had been paid to hold the drugs by another man several times in the weeks prior to his arrest.

Prosecuting, Peter Hussey, said Idrees was helpful with the police and ‘pointed out exactly’ where the packages were in his home.

“It was also heard how he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

He said: “The defendant said he had done it through no pressure but was offered £150.

“He said he had done it around four or five times over the previous weeks.

“He said he would meet this individual in his car outside and he would pass the package to him and then the defendant would take it up to his flat.”

Defending, Jemma Gordon, told the court how Idrees was a man of previous good character and was the sole earner in the home.

She said: “He has no previous convictions up until this point.

“He has two young children.

“His wife speaks very little English. Mr Idrees is the sole earner for the family.”

Presiding over the case, judge Roger Dutton, said: “You didn’t have the willpower to resist the cash, instead you became part of the drug dealing system and contributing to the misery that that causes.”

Idrees pleaded guilty to possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.