Irvine Welsh has tweeted his support for a jailed Edinburgh drug dealer who shares the same name as one of his Trainspotting characters.

Mark Renton was sentenced to six years in prison after being caught with £620 worth of heroin.

Glasgow Times:

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told Renton, 37, that he presented a "substantial danger to public safety."

It was Renton's fourth conviction for trafficking in the Class A drug.

On sentencing, Lord Pentland said "It is clear from all this that you are a person who has no respect whatever for the law and that you are unable or unwilling to control your behaviour.

"You have been given numerous opportunities to address your drug addiction and have received substantial support to enable you to do so. But you have repeatedly squandered these chances."

However, as soon as the verdict was made public, the Scots author tweeted in jest: "MARK RENTON IS INNOCENT." 

He also included Trainspotting stars Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner and Jonny Lee Miller in his tweet.

The name Mark Renton was made famous by Irvine Welsh as he made him the main character of his most famous book Trainspotting.