A Haverfordwest man was caught red-handed by police as he prepared to sell cocaine from his caravan.

As police burst in Stephen McBride was surrounded by a cocktail of drugs and had a set of electronic weighing scales and even a customer in front of him.

McBride, aged 38, was jailed for two years and nine months after he admitted possessing “a very large quantity” of cocaine with intent to supply.

He also admitted the possession of ecstasy, LSD, herbal cannabis and a quantity of ketamine, a drug used to tranquillise horses.

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court how McBride had been living in a caravan in the car park of the Snowdrop Bar in Snowdrop Lane, Haverfordwest, for about 18 months.

On February 1st police officers visited McBride and noticed a man being let into the caravan as they arrived.

They waited before entering the caravan, where they saw McBride and two other men.

McBride was in front of a coffee table and holding a freezer bag containing 20grams of cocaine.

The scales were also in front of him and a second bag, containing almost seven grams of cocaine, was at his feet.

McBride stood up and told the police: “I will have to take it on the chin.”

Mr Jones said McBride then handed over a glove puppet. Inside were small quantities of ecstasy, LSD and ketamine.

A small quantity of cannabis was found in a cupboard.

Forensic tests on the scales showed they had been used to weigh cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and ketamine.

Traces of cocaine were also found on notes inside McBride’s wallet.

While the police were at the caravan four other men arrived, and each had with them either money or drugs.

McBride’s barrister, David Lloyd, said his client was under no illusion as to the likely sentence but McBride was now a changed man and would not be returning to the bad old days.

Judge Michael Burr said the offences were far too serious for a prison sentence to be suspended.

“I have every sympathy for someone who now sees the error of their ways,” he told McBride before sentencing him.

“But people who supply have no real control as to where the drugs might end up.”

“You know from your own experience the addictive nature of these drugs,” he added.