A MAN spotted acting suspiciously late at night by police was found to have heroin stashed in a plastic egg hidden in his sock.

Ian Dunleavy also had a large amount of money on him, but claimed he had found the egg and that the money he had was his savings.

But when he appeared at court Dunleavy changed his plea and admitted a charge of possessing heroin with intent to supply.

Dunleavy, aged 23, of Winchester Drive, Breightmet, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence and was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

William Staunton, prosecuting, said plain clothes police in an unmarked car saw Dunleavy acting suspiciously behind a car and then behind a wheelie bin.

Diary

They arrested him and, when he was searched, found a plastic egg containing several wraps of heroin weighing 7.77grammes and £105 in cash.

When they searched his home, police found a plastic bag with 25 holes cut out and a black diary with names and amounts totalling £315 listed next to them.

He claimed the cash found on him was his savings from odd jobs, but admitted he could not afford his heroin habit of between two and five bags a day.

On the day of his trial he admitted that he sold to a group of friends to pay for his own addiction.

Mark Benson, defending, said Dunleavy's mother had died in 1995 and his criminal and drug activities had started then. Judge William Morris said anyone who supplied heroin, which ruined people's lives, could only expect to receive a substantial prison sentence.

He jailed Dunleavy for two and-a- half years.