QUICK thinking police officers put their hands down a waste pipe after a man tried to flush his drugs away.

Barry McKeown, of Avonspark Street, was so surprised by police officers turning up at his home that he shoved 2.5 grams of cocaine down his toilet in a bid to avoid arrest.

Officers attended his house around 9.30am but received no answer at the door.

After making the residents aware of their presence, they were forced to use a battering ram to open the door.

When the door was finally opened, McKeown was standing behind it.

Officers noticed that the 33-year-old had wet hands and suspected that he had disposed of evidence.

They immediately went to the bathroom where they noticed water on the toilet seat, floor and door handle.

Suspecting that items had been flushed down the toilet, they went outside the property and felt the waste pipe.

Inside they found bags of white powder within which later tested positive for cocaine.

McKeown was arrested and charged with having a controlled drug in his possession and trying to dispose of it down the toilet.

He appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court for sentencing where he was handed 120 hours of unpaid work to be completed in six months.