A former North-East MP's grandson was jailed yesterday after he used his inheritance to set up a cannabis farm.

Carl Leadbitter, 24, whose late grandfather Ted Leadbitter was the Labour MP for Hartlepool, was caught with plants worth £19,000 in his home .

He used part of his 1996 inheritance to fund a professional propogation system for the 41 plants, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Leadbitter of Brimstone Close, Hartlepool, was jailed for eight months after he pleaded guilty to producing a controlled drug between November 1 last year and January 5. He was ordered to pay £400 costs. Leadbitter had been cautioned by police in 1997 for possessing cannabis.

Craig Davidson, 27, of Stonethwaite Close, Hartlepool, who also pleaded guilty and admitted being in possession of cannabis was jailed for four months.

Judge Peter Bowers told Leadbitter: "It must be a sad blow to your well-known family to see you in court.

"With your benefits in life, one would hope you would have been able to avoid appearing in the dock on this serious a matter."

The judge added: "You had a substantial amount of money and invested quite a bit in this experiment."