A CLEANER caught red-handed with £260,000 worth of amphetamine hidden in his fridge-freezer was today jailed for five years and three months.

At the High Court in Glasgow Ian McEwan, 56, admitted having the drug at his home at 16 Cults Street, Govan, on November 15, last year, with intent to supply it.

Prosecutor Bernard Ablett said: “Police went to Mr McEwan's home with a search warrant and explained why they were there.

“The accused told them: 'It's all in the fridge.'”

When police searched they found a sealed bag with 800 grammes of amphetamine paste and 13 two kilo bags of the drug in the freezer section of the fridge-freezer.

McEwan told the police he worked as a cleaner and had a two-bag-a-day heroin habit.

The court heard the amphetamine recovered had a street value of £265,042.

Mr Ablett added: “Given the fact that no drugs paraphernalia were found, it is not believed that the accused was manufacturing or packaging the amphetamine in his home.

“The fact there were no fingerprints or DNA belonging to the accused on the drugs packaging suggests he was holding the drugs on behalf of another, storing it for onward supply.”

Defence counsel Louise Arrol said: “He had a drug debt and was asked to store the drug.”

Judge Lord Armstrong told McEwan, who has previously been jailed 15 times: “Only a substantial custodial sentence is appropriate. Your role was the storage of this drug for onward supply.”