A DARWEN man jailed for six years over a stash of ecstasy and cannabis found in a garage has failed to clear his name at the Court of Appeal.

Enrico Mazzafiore, 42, of Belgrave Road, Darwen, will continue serving the sentence he was given in May 2003 despite another prisoner telling top judges the drugs found belonged to him.

Stephen Higgenbottom told the court he stole the drugs from a car and hid them in the garage in Brussels Street, Darwen.

But London's Court of Appeal ruled his evidence "was not capable of belief" and dismissed Mazzafiore's conviction challenge.

Mazzafiore was found guilty at Preston Crown Court in April 2003 of conspiring to supply ecstasy and cannabis.

He was arrested as part of Lancashire Constabulary's drugs crackdown Operation Connecticut.

Mr Justice Richards, sitting with Lord Justice Rose and Mr Justice Christopher Clarke, said the three lots of drugs were discovered in the garage by council maintenance workers in December 2000.

They called police after finding ten, nine ounce bars of cannabis and more than 1,300 ecstasy tablets with an estimated street value between £10,000 and £15,000.

The judge said Higgenbottom, who agreed he had an "appalling record" and had been addicted to drugs for 22 years, approached solicitors a few weeks after Mazzafiore's trial.

He made a witness statement and was interviewed by police about the drugs.

In court he said he had seen what he believed to be a drug deal taking place in Blackburn between two men he thought he recognised.

The man who received the package drove off and Higgenbottom decided to follow him in his car. When the man stopped and went inside a flat, Higgenbottom broke into the car and stole the package.

Mr Justice Richards said: "We found Mr Higgenbottom to be an unimpressive witness. His evidence is not capable of belief."

The judge also said there were inconsistencies between his police statement and evidence, he had numerous convictions for dishonesty and drug offences and was an acquaintance of Mazzafiore.

Detective Inspector Ian Critchley today said: "The fact the appeal has been dismissed proves the original verdict was right. Mazzafiore was a wholesale supplier of class A drugs. "