Young people are queuing up to be hired in Spalding’s answer to The Young Apprentice.

The formidable Lord Sugar isn’t hosting The Big Cheese, but organisers hope it will be a perfect introduction to the business world for teenagers.

The Big Cheese at Springfields on Sunday, September 29 is part of a Family Enterprise Day put on by Foundations, a community interest company that runs training courses.

Another TV hit, Dragons’ Den, has inspired a separate competition, Make Your Pitch, and there will be a chance for families to have a go at running their own business in the Family Trading competition.

So far Spalding High School has signed up for The Big Cheese along with Army Cadets from Spalding, Holbeach, Long Sutton and Crowland.

Foundations managing director Lynda Phillips said: “More talented and inspirational young people are leaving school with fewer career options. 

“The Family Enterprise Day will promote entrepreneurship, but will also focus on bringing the family together to explore the opportunities of starting up a business.

“If you’ve got a couple of hours to spare come and join us on the 29th because you never know your idea for a business, together with the advice on offer and activities to take part in, could turn your plans for a business into a reality and it’s free.”

There will be entertainment on the day with Act II Theatre Group performing a spoof Alan Sugar documentary, Boston College will have a driving simulator and pit stop challenge competition, and there will be face-painting and a bouncy castle.

The event is sponsored by South Holland District Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Bakkavor and Duncan and Toplis.

The deadline for entries is August 31.

For more information and to enter visit www.familyenterprise.co.uk

It is important to understand what is meant by “resident in the UK” as this will determine what UK tax may be payable.

It is not just about having a house or flat in the UK or about how much time is spent there, but the greater the connections someone has with the UK the more likely they are to be UK resident.

Generally however, the more time spent in the UK the more likely you are to be UK resident.

Spending more than half the tax year (183 days) in the UK will mean you are UK resident for that tax year.

However, it is not as easy as simply staying away from the UK for a certain number of days.

Factors that may affect residence status include previous UK residence status; location of family, property, business, work and social connections and the pattern and purpose of UK visits.

If UK visits become part of the regular pattern of life then it is likely that UK residence will apply.

However, UK residence should not apply if visits are for a short-term, temporary purpose only, for example returning to the UK for a holiday or for a short business project for an overseas employer.

From April 6, this year ordinary resident was abolished at the same time as the introductionof a statutory residence test.

Ordinary residence with regards to UK tax implies a greater degree of permanence than mere residence.

Individuals, who are UK resident year after year, will also generally be treated as ordinarily resident.

For an individual to not be treated as ordinarily resident they must show either that they are moving away with the intention of permanently establishing a residence outside the UK or they should have a contract to work abroad for the tax year in question.

If you live, or are thinking of living abroad and want to see how this may affect your tax situation re: your investments, pensions or savings, then please get in touch.

A village youth club is looking forward to a crafty summer thanks to the Smile Fund.

Donington Youth Club applied to the Spalding and District Round Table for £200 to buy two tables which members could then use for a variety of arts and crafts activities.

And the Round Table was more than happy to oblige.

The youth club now has the two tables in place in time for some summer fun and members of the Round Table went along to a recent youth club session to see for themselves how their money had been spent.

They were told that the tables would make a huge difference to the youngsters who attend the popular club.

Donington Youth Club is one of the latest beneficiaries of the Smile Fund, which has seen a number of groups and individuals receive cash for a variety of projects.

The Round Table has a pot of £10,000 which it hopes to use to support people in the community.

And it has teamed up with the Spalding Guardian to allow readers to submit their application.

And the great news is that there are really very few limits to who can apply to the Smile fund.

Applicants can be individuals (for themselves or on behalf of someone else), a group of people, a club, an organisation or maybe a school.

Projects can include anything from new sports team kit to a day out.

A panel, including Round Table members and a representative of the Spalding Guardian, will decide which applications will be backed with a donation of up to £500.

To apply, send a letter including your name, address, beneficiary of the cash, amount requested and the reason for the request to Spalding Guardian Smile Fund, Priory House, The Crescent, Spalding, Lincs, PE11 1AB.

Four more readers have entered their pride and joys in our Best Front Garden competition.

The Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian have teamed up with the Spalding in Bloom committee to run the competition.

It is being sponsored by Birchgrove Garden Centre in Pinchbeck, which is putting up prizes of £50, £25 and £10 vouchers for the three best entrants.

The competition is easy to enter – just fill in the form and send it with a picture of your front garden to the address shown.

The deadline for entries is first ppost Monday, so be quick.

The garden must be at the front of the house and visible from the path. It should be possible for judges to access the garden. All entries must be on an entry form and be accompanied by a photograph.

Judges will visit all the entries between July 29 and August 12 and winners will be announced on Thursday, August 22.

By day Louise West can be found teaching classes and setting homework for pupils at a South Holland primary school.

But the 33-year-old teacher from Holbeach is now leading a double life as a horror writer after publishing her first-ever book of short stories.

Strange Ideas: Death, Destiny and Decisions is a collection of five short stories exploring subjects including life after death, omens and celebrity culture.

The book is available from Bookmark in The Crescent, Spalding, and Louise said: “I’ve always been a writer but teaching took up a lot of my time until I changed my job and was able to explore more.

“My first short story called Late: A Ghostly Tale was written in autumn 2012 and when I self-published it on a website, people who read it said the story was quite good.

“It had more than 1,000 downloads and it was then that I thought of bringing it out in paperback for people who want to read it but don’t have the internet.”

Louise, who writes her stories at weekends and in school holidays, is currently working on her first novel called The Hungry Man but hasn’t ruled out publishing another collection of scary short stories in the future.

She said: “The feedback I’ve had is that people love the stories and want more of them but I have to be organised and disciplined in writing them. “The day job is the most important thing and the children I work with come first.”

A woman pensioner has been given a three year ban for drink-driving on the day of her friend’s funeral.

Patricia Hern (63), of Drury Lane, Bicker, was stopped on Station Road, Donington, on July 2 – automatically triggering a three year ban because she had a similar conviction within ten years from November 2003.

Spalding magistrates heard on Thursday that Hern was almost double the drink-drive limit with 67 microgrammes of alcohol in breath when police saw her silver Ford Focus in Donington.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said a police officer noticed Hern because the car was being driven slowly, failed to indicate and appeared to stall at a junction.

As well as the ban, Hern received a £250 fine and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £25 victim surcharge.

She pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

Magistrates said they would not offer her the chance to cut the ban by attending a drink-drive rehabilitation course because of the level of alcohol and it was a second offence.

Solicitor Carrie Simson, mitigating, said unfortunately Hern had fallen foul of the three-year ban by just three months.

She said Hern’s husband is disabled and she is his full-time carer.

The ban would have more effect upon him than her.

“She can get public transport but it’s not something he’s going to be able to do,” Mrs Simson said. “He’s mainly on crutches and can’t walk.”

Mrs Simson told the court: “On the day of the offence, she had been to the funeral of a close friend and she had been preparing the buffet afterwards.

“In a distraught state she had a drink.

“She tells me that she felt okay to drive.

“She’s asked me to offer her remorse to the court today. She’s very ashamed that she’s here.”

Mrs Simson asked magistrates to offer Hern the drink drive rehabilitation course.

“In my respectful submission, these are extenuating circumstances bearing in mind that she’s a 24 hour carer.”

“Whatever happens, we’ll be there for you!”

That is the message from a voluntary group in Crowland that fears it could lose its base if the library closes.

Crowland Cares provides an information service as well as transport to appointments at doctors’ surgeries and hospitals and other necessary journeys.

The library is in Tier 3 of the Lincolnshire County Council’s proposals for reorganisation of the library service.

This means it could stay open if a local group comes forward to run it on a voluntary basis.

Nick Worth, deputy leader of South Holland District Council, said Crowland Cares was a perfect example where a voluntary organisation was already helping to run the library.

However, admin assistant Marilyn Stanhope said it was unlikely the group would be in a position to take it on alone.

She said: “Firstly we want to say that whatever happens we will find a new base to continue.

“Financially we struggle to keep going as it is – so we’re not in a position to pay for the building’s upkeep and running costs.

“But consultation forms are here at the library so we’d encourage as many people as possible to fill it in.

“If any groups are interested in taking on the library we’d be happy to pass that information on.”

A-level students Jordon and Kieren Boom, of Peterborough Road, hope something can be done to save the library.

Jordon (17) said: “I’ve come here to finish work and do research. It would be a great loss to the community if it closed.”

Police were called to a home in Spalding when neighbours heard a woman shouting that her partner was hitting her.

Officers were summoned at 12.14am to an address in Winsover Road where Luke Arons was involved in a “tussle” in the bedroom with Rachael Guy.

Noel Philo, prosecuting, said while police waited outside, they heard someone – almost certainly Arons – saying he hadn’t done anything and he wouldn’t be in trouble.

They then heard Miss Guy say: “Well look at me. I am covered in bruises and I have blood in my mouth.”

Mr Philo said a side door opened and Arons and Miss Guy appeared.

He said Miss Guy was bruised but the prosecution accepted that not all of the injuries were done at that time.

Mr Philo said Miss Guy had a lump behind the ear and told police she had been hit there by Arons and “generally struck”.

But, in court, Arons denied punching her.

His solicitor, Mike Alexander, told magistrates: “He disputes any punches completely.

“He goes on to say he tussled with her. She became agitated and hysterical, she was shouting, she was lashing out at him.

“They fell off the bed and the lump behind the ear may stem from that part of the incident.”

Mr Alexander said Arons pleaded guilty to common assault on the basis that he had restrained Miss Guy by holding her upper arms and shoulders, causing bruising, and he fully accepted that he “should not have marked her at all”.

Magistrates on Thursday decided the cause of the lump behind Miss Guy’s ear – whether from a fall or a punch – would affect how they sentenced Arons.

They adjourned the case for a Newton hearing on October 31, when evidence will be called.

Arons (33) was granted bail with conditions including one that prohibits any contact with Miss Guy.

Pigs are not good as house pets – just ask Gren and Barbara Owen, who live at Cowbit.

Most of us wouldn’t dream of having a pig in the house, but it has been fashionable at various times for people to have a pot-bellied pig as an indoor pet.

“People might buy a pig at six weeks when they are 18in long and very cuddly,” said Gren, who runs Pigrest, a small pig sanctuary, at Mill Drove North.

“By age three they can grow to about 110lb and that’s not fully grown. At fully grown they can weigh 220lb.”

A trend for keeping micro and pot-bellied pigs as pets started in the 1960s, with surges of popularity in the ’80s and ’90s and again now, says Gren.

And, according to Gren, this is the worst time in terms of the number of people looking to re-home pigs that have outgrown homes – in some cases apartments – because a lot of people have gone into breeding to make money.

Gren says: “We once had someone call us at midnight because their pig was waking everyone up in a tower block by rubbing itself on the heating radiator.”

When they get a call from an owner desperate to re-home a pig, the first thing Barbara and Gren do is to go on their Facebook page to get the message out to other pig rescue centres across the country. Between them they will try to find a more suitable home for the pig.

There are currently five pigs kept outdoors at their Cowbit sanctuary, the location specifically chosen by them about ten years ago because of its isolation.

Gren said: “If you have pigs all the noise they make is about 120 decibel. People don’t think they make a noise, but they should come here at 5am at feed time – in fact you will hear them anywhere within quarter of a mile.”

Gren and Barbara are experienced and knowledgeable pig owners, and they also know about keeping a pig as a house pet.

It was in 1997 the couple bought their first pig, Bushka, who gained notoriety for the tricks Gren trained her to perform.

When she died they were heart-broken but were eventually persuaded to give a home to a second pig.

Gren says: “The more we found out about pigs the more we realised that they are not good as house pets. We try to educate and invite people to spend an afternoon with us to find out what’s it’s really like to have a pig as a pet.”

There are probably hundreds of hobby artists in south Lincolnshire, but very few of them make it to professional status.

Jim Wright made that giant leap, earning a reputation as “one of the finest landscape artists of his generation” among the gallery owners who sold his work.

Since 1979, when he made the brave decision to give up full-time work at the Gleed Boys’ School as woodwork and technical drawing teacher, Jim (78) has created an enormous body of work. For many years, he was regularly selling 80 of his pictures at a gallery in Holt in Norfolk every year and a further 30 in Suffolk.

His paintings, in oils, have come in all sizes, from small pictures up to his largest canvas, which was 60 by 40 inches in size. At that time Jim had a Ford Anglia and had to strap the piece to a roof rack to drive around galleries looking for a buyer.

The other large painting, which he has only recently finished, was 30 by 46 inches and went to a keen collector of Jim’s work. When the buyer came to collect the piece, he bought two more, taking his collection of Jim Wright landscapes to 43.

Jim describes his style as becoming “a bit more Impressionistic” over the years.

He says: “The sort of pictures I like are not too tight. It’s the loose paintings I like and Edward Seago is one of the artists I try to emulate.”

His subject matter beautifully marries two passions: trout fishing and being in the great outdoors.

The fishing was introduced as something to do with his boys, Simon and Steve, but takes him into the kind of scenery that inspires his art.

Jim says: “Water in paintings adds another dimension really, like a few trees. They are not very much on their own, but if there’s a path and some puddles it all adds to the painting. Then, if you go a bit further, I like reflections in puddles, or reflections in a large expanse of water, and also windmills.”

These features are all marked on OS maps, and so from early on Jim has left his Moulton home to find the “blue bits” on the map.

He sketches outside or takes photographs, but doesn’t paint out of doors.

Jim says: “I just paint in my studio. By the time you have lugged canvases and an easel outside and your paints and then the flies have started to stick ... It might be all right for some people, but not for me.”

Over the course of the years Jim got to know the galleries selling his work quite well. The owner of one, based in Somerset, introduced the idea of a book of Jim’s work, something that came to fruition in 2006 with James Wright’s East Anglia, published by Halsgrove.

All Jim will say is: “I am happy with the way things have turned out and I have had a little success, so we can’t grumble.”

Artist Jim Wright was married to Judy and a father when he gave up a paid job to paint full time.

That possibly influenced his decision to pursue what he calls a “commercial” path. Following a number of exhibitions where his work sold well, Jim started working with a dealer, who bought paintings and then sold them on to galleries.

Jim says: “He’s doing all the running about and I am doing what I want to do, paint pictures. The only snag with a dealer is you get rock bottom prices, but you don’t have to put a frame on, the gallery does that and sells it at a vastly inflated price.

“That relationship lasted until this last year and I think he’s ready for retiring as I am, more or less.”

The other downside of using a dealer is that the artist rarely meets his customers. For Jim that’s a bonus as he prefers to be “in the background” as he puts it, working in his studio or workshop, where he also produces beautifully crafted furniture.

Then, when tired of that particular occupation, he will go fishing.

Jim says: “Sitting by the lake on your own in peace and quiet is worth something.”

Anyone worried about the effect of the bedroom tax is being urged to get in touch with South Holland District Council.

It follows a recent case in which the council’s strategic housing team helped in the rehousing of two benefit recipients in one-bedroom properties, resulting in a much-needed four bedroom home being made available.

The district council owns just 15 four-bedroom properties, making it difficult to home large families.

Coun Christine Lawton, portfolio holder for Housing Landlord, said: “It’s really important that people do approach us for advice.

“This case highlights how our housing advice team is able to assist, and the fact that we will now be able to house another family is good news.”

A 67-year-old Swineshead man set himself alight ‘as a statement’ for years of torment from a wife who had never forgiven him for an affair.

The shocking revelation came during the inquest of Alan Thorne, whose badly burned body was found in his garden at Tarry Hill House in Tarry Hill on August 26 last year.

Mr Thorne died as the result of 80 per cent burns to his body and the inhalation of products of combustion.

Coroner Professor Robert Forrest said he had intended recording an open verdict, but the new evidence had changed this to suicide while the balance of Mr Thorne’s mind was disturbed.

Keiron Davey, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue investigation officer, said evidence indicated Mr Thorne had covered himself with petrol on the garden bench.

He said: “There was some rolled up paper attached to him, which could have been used as a taper. He would have been on fire when he had gone towards the house and fallen.”

In a 16-page statement from Mr Thorne’s wife, Angela, she said she had suffered depression for a large part of the couple’s 46-year marriage.

However, she said that it wasn’t until she finally got the treatment she needed that Mr Thorne accepted the situation was as serious as it was.

Five years ago, they moved from Somerset to Swineshead to be closer to family. But the house had a catalogue of problems which made Mr Thorne “very down”.

In addition, his two dogs had also died – one suddenly and the other, which was very sick, was put down after someone accused him of being cruel for taking it out for a walk.

Mrs Thorne said: “Alan was very upset about what was said and checked with the vet that it was OK to go out for a walk. Eventually we made the decision to have to dog put down. It affected us very much. Walking his dogs was a big part of his day.”

On the day of her husband’s death, she said he had gone for a walk at 3pm – the same time he used to take the dogs out – and she had gone upstairs to sort some boxes.

She said: “He hadn’t let me know he was back and I decided to go outside and have a cigarette. I opened the door and saw Alan laid down with small flames on his neck.

“I grabbed a watering can to put water on Alan’s neck and called 999. I said ‘my husband’s on fire’ – I was screaming for a neighbour to come and help.

“I went and sat in the house - I didn’t want to go in the garden. I don’t think I ever want to go in the garden again.

“I knew Alan was depressed, but he had given me no clue he was so unhappy.”

During the statement, her daughter Joanne indicated by her expression that she did not agree with parts of her mother’s account of their life together.

She said: “My parents moved up here because my mother had been stalking a woman he had an affair with. It was just convenient.

“My mother never forgave him and she made our lives a misery. He had many friends in Somerset – his life was destroyed coming up here.

“I believe he was depressed and, yes, he would have been sad about his dogs. But not this – I believe what he did was a statement to her.”

Distribution and haulage specialist company Turners (Soham) Ltd and Milton Keynes-based vehicle telematics company Isotrak have evolved an award winning breakthrough fuel-efficiency programme resulting in national recognition by the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS).

The companies worked together to develop the programme, which has led to Turners, which has bases at Donington and Quadring, achieving significant operational savings in fuel and CO2 emissions across the fleet of 850 HGVs.

The unique fuel management programme identifies alternative driver routes, zones them according to efficiency, and enables mapping them in red, amber and green to show drivers the preferred routes they should use.

This leading edge work in fuel management utilises Isotrak vehicle tracking and business intelligence reporting.

The Isotrak system not only tracks the vehicles to compare and evaluate fuel usage over alternative routes it also generates route compliance reports so that drivers can be debriefed and if needs be given further coaching to improve performance.

Isotrak helped Turners develop the system to enable the company to monitor and encourage driving styles that have a positive effect on efficiency.

The system also identifies and supports the best use of fuel-efficient vehicles from specific manufacturers, so that Turners can compare actual performance data with those published by the vehicle manufacturers.

Using Isotrak driver performance data and specially developed route-based analysis and improvement tools and techniques, Turners has been able to create fuel and cost efficient routes that provide the highest possible levels of service to their customers.

Terry Skelton, fuel programme manager for Turners, said: “We’ve worked closely with Isotrak to develop our fuel efficiency programme and we have far exceeded the typical environmental and fuel performance achievable using a standard telematics-based programme.

“Our unique relationship has enabled us to take an out-of-the-box solution and develop it to meet our needs for identifying and monitoring specific driver attributes across the organisation.

“This enables us to take positive steps in improving fuel efficiency, save money, reduce our environmental footprint, and improve driver safety while enhancing our services.

“We are extremely proud of our achievements to date and we are grateful to see our efforts and achievements recognised by the Carbon Reduction Through Fuel Efficiency award.”

Protestors from the Deepings gathered outside the South Holland Centre in Spalding to object to their library being at risk of closure.

A consultation was being held inside the centre where representatives of Lincolnshire County Council explained the proposals and members of the public had the chance to have their say.

Coun Phil Dilks led the protest outside. He said: “We’re objecting to the consultation being held 11 miles away when most residents are at work.”

Firemen from Spalding used specialist equipment to free a child who became trapped in a climbing frame in the town.

The drama happened on Atton Avenue just before 1.10pm on Sunday.

Police believe two fires near Spalding town centre where rubbish was set alight on Thursday were deliberate.

Firemen used a hose reel to put out the fires on Cathedral Drive and Park Road and anyone with information should call 101.

Two men have been arrested in Spalding in connection with a suspected smuggling racket, estimated to have cost the taxpayer at least £6million.

Operation Turnip saw 630,000 illegal cigarettes seized last Monday as part one of the biggest swoops of its kind in the region.

Around 100 HMRC investigators, assisted by police and Trading Standards, carried out 30 raids in Spalding and Peterborough of residential properties, local shops and warehouse storage units.

The men arrested in Spalding, aged 34 and 27, were from Boston. Three others from Peterborough, aged 52, 22 and 45, were also arrested.

All five were apprehended on suspicion of being involved in excise fraud, primarily the illegal importation of Jing Ling cigarettes known as “illegal whites”.

During the operation 630,000 illicit white cigarettes were seized and £13,000 was also seized from two residential addresses in Peterborough.

A spokesman for HMRC said: “They (Jing Ling) are not available commercially in the UK. They are unregulated, the smoker has no idea what they are smoking and they can contain harmful chemicals.

“They are also sold illegally in residential areas, pubs and clubs and some small independent retail shops.”

Richard Las, HMRC’s Deputy Director for Criminal Investigation, said: “This operation is an HMRC-led investigation targeting suspected cigarette smuggling and money laundering offences, centred on Peterborough and Spalding.

“We cannot provide any further information as the investigation is continuing.

“Our activity sends out a clear message to those involved in this type of criminality. Attempts to import, distribute and sell tobacco goods on which UK duty has not been paid are treated extremely seriously by HMRC and we will relentlessly pursue any individuals or crime gangs believed to be involved.”

Residents are asked to report anyone suspected of selling illegal tobacco goods by calling the HMRC 24-hour Customs Hotline on 0800 595000.

A key figure in a gang which stole catalytic converters from vehicles across Lincolnshire was jailed for three years at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday.

Jacob Smith was described as one of the main men in the gang which operated in the dead of night.

The victims only discovered what had happened when they tried to use their vehicles the following morning and found that a key part was missing.

Gareth Weetman, prosecuting, said the gang targeted a number of towns including Spalding, Boston, Horncastle and Woodhall Spa stealing as many 16 converters in a single night.

Mr Weetman said: “In March 2012 there were in excess of 32 thefts of catalytic converters in the wider Lincolnshire area. All of the thefts were at night time and mostly they were unseen. There was a pattern of four or five thefts within an hour of one another.

“It was only when the owners attempted to drive away that they found their vehicles were missing an important part. A cutting tool was used to take out the relevant part of the exhaust and remove the catalytic converter.”

Smith became a suspect because of his connection to a Volvo car linked with the thefts.

The vehicle was involved in an 80mph police chase before being abandoned at the Five Acres caravan site at Gosberton Risegate.

The two men inside the car ran off and managed to evade a police dog team.

Relatives of Smith were present on the site and a search of the area led to the discovery of 32 catalytic converters hidden under a tarpaulin.

A glove found inside the car was found to contain Smith’s DNA.

Smith was eventually tracked down in July last year and arrested.

Mr Weetman said it was clear that one or more other people were involved in the thefts but no further charges have been brought.

Smith (43), of Palmers Road, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal catalytic converters between March 1-30, 2012. The court was told he accepted involvement in 20 thefts which left motorists facing £18,000 worth of repairs.

Recorder Timothy Spencer QC told Smith: “This was systematic, organised, targeted crime. The level of damage was extensive and the disruption to people’s lives is obvious.”

Dominic Shelley, defending, said Smith admitted his part in the thefts and should be given credit for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.

A drug user who ran a mobile dealing service from his van was caught because of his erratic driving, Lincoln Crown Court was told on Friday.

Joseph Pike’s poor standard of driving attracted the attention of police and he was stopped on Cherry Holt Road, Bourne.

A roadside breathalyser test revealed he was not under the influence of alcohol and officer suspected he had taken drugs.

Faye Mellor, prosecuting, said a search of the van led to the discovery of cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy with a total street value of over £1,000.

A set of electronic scales containing traces of drugs together with a cutting agent used to dilute the purity of the drugs and freezer bags were also found.

Text messages on Pike’s mobile phone indicated he had been involved in selling drugs over the previous six weeks.

Pike (26), of Rotten Row, Pinchbeck, admitted two charges of possession of drugs with intent to supply and illegal possession of ketamine on December 14, 2012. He was jailed for two years and three months.

Recorder Timothy Spencer QC told him “Your case is an illustration of the pernicious effect of taking drugs.

“At heart I am satisfied you are a decent young man from a very decent family who can turn his life to rights in due course.

“But I am afraid this is too serious for me to give you an opportunity today. This was a substantial operation.”

Jim Earle, defending, said Pike had been using drugs since the age of 14 and after graduating from cannabis to cocaine and ketamine he rapidly got into debt with his dealer.

Mr Earle said Pike started selling drugs as a way to repay his debt but by the time of his arrest still owed £13,000.

“He was caught because of his erratic driving. The police stopped him. They did a breathalyser test. It clearly wasn’t alcohol that had affected him and they proceeded from there.”

Mr Earle said that Pike managed to get back into work following his arrest and has sought help for his drugs problem.