A 56-YEAR-OLD man found with cannabis on him claimed he needed it for his arthritis.

Tyrone Liburd, of Leonard Street, Fartown, was found with five bags of cannabis worth £25 and cannabis leaf.

Liburd claimed he boiled the leaf to make tea and smoked cannabis joints to help ease the pain of his arthritis. His defending solicitor Mrs Sonia Kidd said: “There are organisations out there that will prescribe cannabis to alleviate pain but unfortunately Mr Liburd was not signed up to one of these at the time.” He was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to forfeit the cannabis.