A drug dealer got more than he bargained for on his birthday when police arrested him and found thousands of pounds of drugs and cash.

Daniel McCarroll, 26, had been drinking at a property in Peterborough and was caught by police as he fled the house just before noon on 24 June.

Police had been called to the property after reports of a disturbance and found McCarroll was still intoxicated.

Suspicious that McCarroll was shouting to someone near the house, an officer searched the garden and found a bag containing thousands of pounds in cash and a black tin containing drugs including cocaine, ketamine and MDMA, with a street value of more than £8,000.

McCarroll, of Peake Close, Peterborough, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday (October 1) and was jailed for a total of four years.

He was sentenced to 47 months for possession with intent to supply a class A drug, namely cocaine; nine months, to run concurrently, for possession of a class B drug - namely ketamine; and one month, to run consecutively, for breach of a suspended sentence.

He admitted all the offences at an earlier hearing.

Detective Constable Josh Crown said: “Having turned up to reports of a disturbance, it was the officer’s thoroughness that led to the discovery of a duffel bag in the back garden containing nearly £7,000 in cash and a quantity of drugs.

“We are pleased the judge handed down a substantial sentence which we hope will serve as a deterrent both to McCarroll and others. The drugs were destroyed and the cash forfeited.”

Anyone with concerns or information about drugs can report to police online via the force website.