A MAN desperately tried to swallow drugs to hide them from police as they burst into his house.

Colin Galbraith was caught trying to eat the wraps of heroin as officers forced their way into the flat in Brookfield Road in Port Glasgow.

As well as the heroin, police also recovered a bottle of black market methadone during the swoop on Galbraith's home.

The 38-year-old has now been jailed for four months after admitting three separate drug charges during an appearance at Greenock Sheriff Court.

Depute fiscal Lindsay MacNeill explained how a team of police, armed with a warrant, smashed their way into the house after arriving at the property just before 6.15pm.

She added: "They forced entry and, on going inside, witnessed the accused quickly putting something in his mouth in an attempt to conceal it.

"As officers approached he tried to swallow it and was told to remove whatever it was from his mouth, which he did." The court was told police took two wraps from Galbraith, which he admitted were heroin.

Officers continued to search the property and a bottle containing a green liquid was discovered in another room.

The fiscal added: "This was analysed and found to have been methadone.

"He admitted that this hadn't been prescribed to him, at which point he was arrested and taken to Greenock police office." Galbraith, of Brookfield Road in Port Glasgow, pleaded guilty to trying to swallow wraps of heroin, possession of heroin and possession of methadone on 15 February when he appeared in court.

Defence solicitor Aidan Gallagher said his client had struggled to combat a long-standing drug problem.

He added: "The drugs in his mouth were two �10 deals, which he tried to swallow in a moment of panic when police arrived.

"The methadone had been sourced in an attempt to detoxify himself, although he accepts he should not have been in possession of either." Sheriff John Herald sentenced Galbraith to a period of four months imprisonment.