A FATHER has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison after £1,300 worth of cocaine and cannabis, and a stolen shotgun, were found at his house.

Police officers were sent to Pendle Street in Accrington with a warrant in March last year.

Burnley Crown Court heard officers searched the house, belonging to Imtiaz Hussain and his wife, Shamsa, and found a box containing cocaine and cannabis.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said the tub, which contained a shoebox inside a carrier bag, had 11.9 grams of cocaine in 30 snap bags, with a street value of £1,000 in total.

The court heard 26 grams of cannabis was found, worth £300 if divided up into street selling amounts.

Mr Parker said: “As well as the box containing drugs, officers found a shotgun which had been stolen from someone in October 2017.

“Officers also recovered a number of shotgun cartridges.

“Imtiaz was not arrested there, he was not present.”

The court heard Imtiaz, 25, was spotted by police officers on July 2. He was searched and handed over a small bag of cannabis.

However as he was about to be arrested he ran away and avoided arrest until September.

Shafqat Khan, defending Imtiaz, said his client was co-operative as he handed over the cannabis to the police officer.

He said: “He is a first-time father.

“His wife gave birth to a boy in November last year.

“If there’s anything to focus a man’s attention it is the birth of his first child.

“At the time of the offence he was hanging around with the wrong crowd.

“He is determined to change his ways.”

The court heard Imtiaz, of Monk Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to possession of class A and class B drugs with the intent to supply both, possession of a 12 gauge shotgun without a certificate, as well as possession of class b drugs and escaping custody.

He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison and ordered to pay a statutory surcharge.

Shamsa, 23, of India Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to permitting her premises to be used for producing cannabis and will be sentenced on March 18.

Judge Jonathan Woolman said: “You (Imtiaz) were keeping the gun for someone else.

“This someone else is an individual in the drug world.

“If you are keeping a shotgun it could be used for some sort of unlawful purpose.”