A MAN blamed his prison bed for causing him to develop a cannabis habit.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Jameil Ahmed Yasin, 29, said the uncomfortable mattress aggravated an old back injury and he claimed the only relief he could get was from smoking "weed".

Yasin, of St Clement Close, Blackburn, admitted possessing the drug. He was fined £100 with £60 costs.

The court heard police raided Yasin's home early one morning and found about £30 worth of cannabis hidden behind a curtain rail.

Yasin was jailed for two years in 2001 for supplying class A drugs and Basharat Ditta, defending, said it was while serving this sentence that Yasin aggravated a back condition.

"The bunk he was allocated caused difficulties and he needed to seek medical attention on his release from prison," said Mr Ditta. "He started to smoke cannabis for pain relief and this is something he has told his doctor about."

Mr Ditta said the police raid was the seventh since Yasin had been released from prison.