A SCHOOLBOY drug dealer caught red handed by police behind a disused ambulance station in Dursley walked free from court.

Stephen Randlesome, 18, of Victoria Drive, Eastington, was caught with 25 ecstasy tablets and £1,200 worth of cannabis in a bag, Gloucester Crown Court was told last Thursday.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner told the court that a charge of possessing ecstasy with intent could have been brought against Randlesome and he would have faced a sentence of several years custody. But the Crown decided to take a "humane approach" and charge him with possession of cannabis with intent and possession of ecstasy for his own use.

Randlesome, who was 17 at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty.

"He is fortunate that the prosecution has taken this view. We have taken a humane approach in view of his young age, his previous good record and his early guilty plea," Mr Kesner said.

Mr Kesner said that on February 23 this year police were called because of concerns about young people smoking cannabis behind the old Dursley ambulance station.

When police got there they found Randlesome with two teenage girls. There was a strong smell of cannabis in the air.

"Initially Mr Randlesome was fully cooperative with the police. They found he had a cannabis grinder on him," continued Mr Kesner. "He was standing next to a broken window and one of the constables was suspicious and looked through the window and saw a bag.

"He grabbed it and the defendant told him it contained just school books. But the officer said he was going to search it.

"Randlesome grabbed it, held it very tightly to himself, and went to the ground. He had it in a vice like grip and only after repeatedly being asked to release it did he do so."

In the bag police found four 1oz bags of cannabis with a street value of £1,210 and 25 ecstasy tablets.

Sarah Fear, defending, said Randlesome had been supplying "friends, associates and peers".

He is now working as a chef as well as helping his father in his business supplying shampoo and other toiletries, she said.

He has a "strong work ethic" and wants to get on in life and he has a very supportive family, she added.

Life had been very difficult for him recently because five close family members had died and the bereavements had affected him significantly.

The judge, Recorder Jason Taylor, said he had been very much influenced by Randlesome's ambitions to do well and by the prosecution's humane approach.

He sentenced Randlesome to a 12-month community order with three months drug rehabilitation and 100 hours unpaid work.

He ordered Randlesome to pay costs of £300 plus a £60 surcharge. Randlesome will have to return to court on September 15 for a review of his progress.