A DRUGS courier caught by police at the Wirral end of the Birkenhead tunnel with about £250,000 worth of cocaine was today jailed for four and a half years.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that police stopped a car as it left the tunnel on March 3.

In the footwell at passenger Wayne Hughes' feet were two bags of cocaine in a shoe box in a sports bag.

When this was examined it was found to weigh two kilos, said Gerald Jones, prosecuting.

Both men were acting as couriers bringing the cocaine from Liverpool to the Wirral.

Hughes, 29, of Royden Road, Birkenhead, denied knowing what was in the bag but was convicted after a trial of possessing the drugs with intent to supply.

He has no previous drugs convictions.

Jailing him Judge William George said that he had been a willing participant.

"A courier is an integral part of the distribution of illegal Class A drugs like cocaine," he said.

"Cocaine has an affect on the health of people and the way they act to get money to obtain it and also affects the financing of evil people."

The court heard that the driver had been sentenced at an earlier hearing to five years imprisonment.