A MAN who was tricked into arranging a drugs deal in a nightclub by two undercover police officers then dropped himself in it by giving evidence in a friend's trial.

John David Allan, 36, was asked if he could get ecstasy by the two "very attractive" officers, known only as Hannah and Caroline, who then paid £20 for six tablets from his friend, Norman Hutchinson.

He was arrested, but the case against him was discontinued after police could not formally identify him.

Teesside Crown Court heard that, in a twist, Allan then appeared as a witness in Hutchinson's trial and, despite being told by a judge that he did not need to answer any questions, effectively gave police the evidence they needed to charge him.

Dan Cordey, prosecuting, said Allan had been in The Cube nightclub, in Spennymoor, on February 1, 2003, when he spoke to the officers and put them in touch with Hutchinson.

Allan, who said he would not have bothered had they been men, later spoke in defence of Hutchinson at his trial and admitted it had been he that arranged the deal to "sort the lasses out".

Hutchinson was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Durham Crown Court in 2004 for supplying ecstasy.

Allan, of The Cotswolds, Ferryhill, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

Richard Bennett, mitigating, said he had been punished for his honesty.

He added that Allan was a very different man from the one three years ago who drank heavily and regularly took ecstasy, and had not been in trouble since.

He asked the judge, Recorder Ian Thorp, to draw back from jailing him, citing the amount of time that had elapsed from the offence and his early guilty plea.

Recorder Thorp said Allan had made a "wholly foolish" attempt to impress the undercover officers by directing them towards someone who could supply the drugs they wanted.

The judge said the vast majority of such crimes inevitably led to jail, but said having taken into account all the very unusual circumstances involved, he could avoid a prison sentence.

Allan was given a 160-hour community punishment order and fined £2,000 with £578 costs.