A 59-year-old man has admitted possessing heroin hidden in a Kinder egg and cultivating cannabis.

Rex William Chambers was arrested with 1.5 grams of the class A drug and a subsequent search of his home found one cannabis plant.

He will be sentenced on October 12 after a probation report has been prepared.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that police saw Chambers in a lane alongside Ramsey Youth Centre on January 25.

He was with another man and was stopped for a search. Police found a Kinder egg in his pocket and when opened, there were four small wraps containing powder inside.

After Chambers was arrested and taken to headquarters, the powder was identified as diamorphine valued by police at £322.

His home was searched the following day and one wilted cannabis plant was found on a kitchen worktop.

Ms Carroon said that the plant was not yet flowering and submitted that the case was suitable for summary court sentencing.

The court heard that Chambers was jailed for five-and-a-half years in 2016 for heroin and cocaine related offences.

Defence advocate James Peterson entered a basis of plea on behalf of his client, in which Chambers said he had believed he was only buying less than a gram of heroin when he bought the drug and that the cannabis plant was dying.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes ordered that the probation report consider all sentencing options, including custody and also asked for clarification as to whether the latest offences were committed during the currency of Chambers’ 2016 sentence.

Bail was granted in the sum of £500 with conditions to live at his home address, in Brookhill Road, Ramsey, contact probation, and not leave the island without court permission.