A COUPLE sold drugs to children as young as 11 from their home, a court was told.

Police secretly filmed 25 children buying drugs over a five-day period, from Andrew and Claire Bateman in Redcar, east Cleveland.

Undercover officers intercepted a 14-year-old boy who spent only seconds at the house, leaving with a package of cannabis resin.

Andrew Bateman, 28, has two previous convictions for possessing cocaine, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday.

He said he was a heavy cannabis user, and he drew his 25-year-old wife into the drugs trade to pay for the cost of his habit, said Michael Bean, prosecuting.

When the house was raided, he was asked if there were any drugs on the premises. He indicated a block of cannabis worth £539. A set of scales and £100 cash were also found.

During the raid, two adult callers approached the house, in The Meadows, Redcar.

When the couple were arrested, they denied supplying cannabis, but accepted using it.

Judge Guy Whitburn QC said: "As supplier on the estate to children, custody is inevitable.

"He has introduced young people to the drugs culture."

Robin Turton, defending, said Bateman, who was on incapacity benefit, felt responsible for getting his wife involved and he should take a large responsibility for the blame.

"He is a father himself, and he has realised that he has put these children in this position. He is a thoughtless, idiotic individual, rather than a malicious one."

The judge said of Claire Bateman: "I am not going to deprive these children of their mother, no matter how idiotically she has behaved."

The couple pleaded guilty to supplying a Class C drug in October and November 2004 and possession with intent to supply.

Andrew Bateman was jailed for 21 months and his wife was given a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years, with supervision and a requirement to attend a 12-month programme.