A Newry man has been jailed for nine years after police in England found more than £1m worth of drugs in the back of his truck.

Stephen Patrick Toner (27) was charged in August after the haul was found concealed in an articulated lorry.

He had been collecting from Ferryfast Produce in Pershore, Worcestershire, and was arrested following a tip-off to the local police from a member of the public.

Toner will serve six years for the attempted possession and intent to supply class A drug ecstasy and a further three years for the possession and intent to supply class B cannabis.

These sentences were ordered to run consecutively.

On top of these sentences Toner has been banned from driving any vehicle for six years.

The find is believed to be the biggest ever in the county of Worcestershire.

Officers recovered 150,000 pills — which Toner believed to be ecstasy — with a street value of about £750,000. They also removed 69kg (152lbs) of cannabis “skunk” with an estimated street value of about £400,000.

At a hearing in Worcester Crown Court, Toner, who had no previous convictions, admitted possessing the pills believing them to be ecstasy and also the cannabis with intent to supply.