'Furniture' delivery drugs haul man James Bettridge jailed

Officers searched Bettridge's van and found six kilos of cocaine in a bag with pictures of cartoon hamsters

A man caught with cocaine valued at £800,000 who claimed he had been delivering furniture to Germany has been jailed for six years.

James Reginald Bettridge, 37, from Walsall, was stopped by border police at Dover's Eastern Docks on 19 August.

Officers searched his van and found six kilos of cocaine and a gas canister.

Bettridge, of Well Lane, admitted attempting to import Class A drugs and an offensive weapon in a hearing at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday.

'Lunch box'

Police said Bettridge claimed he had been to the Hamburg area to deliver furniture.

Upon searching his van, they found five tape-wrapped packages in a plastic bag under a passenger seat and a lunch box containing white powder.

The contents of the packages and the lunch box gave a positive reaction to a test for cocaine.

The contents of the packages gave a positive reaction to a test for cocaine

Paul Morgan, a director with Border Force said: "In this case our officers have prevented a large amount of drugs and a dangerous weapon from reaching the streets."