A LIFEGUARD who works at a leisure centre in Cricklade has avoided jail for drug dealing.

Callum Evans, aged 20-years-old, who works full time as a lifeguard at Cricklade Leisure Centre, had been running a business selling cannabis.

He was selling skunk, even recruiting friends to help him run the enterprise which made him about £50 a day, Swindon Crown Court was told.

But after hearing he was from a good family and studying to be a personal trainer while working at Cricklade Leisure Centre, a judge spared him immediate jail.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court police went to the car park at Lydiard Park last summer.

On Sunday, July 30, last year, officers approached his car and saw him sitting with a pile of cannabis on his lap.

“There were other people there in the car who had clearly been smoking drugs, they were under the influence of them,” he said.

In the car he said they found about 6g of skunk and at his home were scales, bags and a mobile phone which was full of messages relating to his trade.

He said there were some where people were offering him new customers, asking what he earned from drug dealing, and being offered work by him.

Evans, of Oatlands, Grange Park, Swindon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply.

Richard Williams, defending, said his client, who has a supportive family, got 13 GCSEs and is working towards becoming a personal trainer.

Mr Williams said that he had been along term user of the drug but since his arrest he had sought help to get clean.

Judge Robert Pawson said: “You were dealing to young people and some young people are susceptible to psychosis.”

He imposed an 18 month jail term suspended for 18 months, with 27 hours at an attendance sentence, 25 days rehabilitation activity requirement and a three month curfew.

The judge added: “The tag is normally on your ankle. If you need to wear thick rugby socks so your customers don’t see it, that is a matter for you.”