Drug dealer caught with cash and cannabis after passenger 'smells weed' on Wolverhampton train

Daniel Sheldon will now spend more than a year in jail after being caught with a bag full of cannabis and £1,000 in cash.

The 33-year-old from Stafford was found with the drugs after a fellow passenger spotted him acting suspiciously on a train to Birmingham New Street on a March evening last year.

The eagle-eyed traveller sent the British Transport Police a text message reporting the 'smell of weed' coming from the bag of a man 'on edge'.

And when the passenger sent further texts to police with Sheldon's description, the service he was on and where he was heading, officers were ready to pounce in Wolverhampton.

Sheldon, of Sowdley Green, Wheaton Aston, was arrested as he crossed the station footbridge on March 4. A search of his bag revealed 1kg of cannabis hidden in a paint container and £1,000 in cash.

He was subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply cannabis, which he later admitted.

Sheldon appeared before Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday April, 4 where he was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Pc Jamie Taylor from the British Transport Police said: "This is another example of a criminal being brought to justice thanks to a text to our 61016 service.

"This case shows exactly why people should save the text number in their phone so they can let us know discreetly when they see something they're concerned about.

"Drugs cause misery in our communities but the quick-thinking and vigilance of this particular passenger allowed us to take a large quantity of cannabis off the streets and out of harm's reach.

"We're satisfied with the sentence handed to Sheldon and we hope this case acts as a warning to anyone else considering using the railway to transport illegal substances that the public are our eyes and ears, and we could be waiting for you at the next station."