A Pembroke man has been charged with possessing cannabis after police caught him attempting to hide it in a vehicle.

Twenty-one-year-old McAuley Breen, of Shoulder of Mutton, pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing traces of cannabis at Pembroke Dock when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Dennis Davies told the court that on January 6, police officers on an unrelated matter came across a Vauxhall Corsa car parked near the Cleddau Bridge, with three people in the vehicle.

The occupants seemed to panic when they saw the officers and attempted to hide something under the car.

When they were approached, they appeared to be very nervous and green plant matter was found hidden under the car, which Mr. Breen confirmed was his.

Magistrates heard how the defendant had appeared in court in May of 2016 for a similar offence of possessing cannabis.

Defence solicitor, Mike Kelleher told the court that Mr. Breen was training in customer service and catering and had just passed his food hygiene certificate, and as a result of this, had now given up smoking cannabis.

Magistrates fined Mr. Breen £40 for the offence and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge.