When staff working at Crown Pet Foods in Castle Cary noticed an unusual smell coming from the locker room they discovered a fellow worker smoking cannabis.

Managers carried out a search of the area and caught Justin King red-handed smoking the drug. He was then arrested.

The 25-year-old, of Olympic Drive, Castle Cary, pleaded guilty to being in possession of 1g of cannabis (class B) on August 29 last year when he appeared before Somerset Magistrates.

Emma Lenanton, prosecuting, said that a member of staff working at the pet food factory said they could smell a strong aroma of cannabis coming from the male locker room.

“A search was conducted by the managers in accordance with company policy and King was found in possession of what they believed to be cannabis and the police were called,” she said.

“The item was seized and was found to be 1g of cannabis flowering head and when the defendant was interviewed he made full admissions saying it was for his own personal use.”

King told the court that he had now lost his job working at the factory and was now struggling to find alternative employment.

“I also have a problem with cannabis and need to go to the doctor as I feel there is something wrong and I really struggle to stay with a job,” he said.

The magistrates imposed an 18 month conditional discharge on King and ordered him to pay a £15 victim surcharge but no costs. An order was also made for the cannabis to be destroyed.