Teen drug dealers locked up after being caught with bags of LEGO ecstasy tablets at Leeds festival

Nathan Handricks and Ashton Toyne were also found in possession of quantities of ketamine when they were stopped and searched by security officers at the music event at Bramham.

Leeds Crown Court heard security staff became suspicious of the defendants' behaviour as they approached a search area.

Hendricks was seen to be re-arranging something in his clothing before the pair headed towards toilets.

They were stopped and found in possession of wraps of ketamine and ecstasy tablets in grip seal bags.

Robert Galley, prosecuting, said Hendricks was in possession of 68 tablets which contained the LEGO logo.

Toyne had 26 of the same tablets.

The defendants had their mobile phones seized and text messages were recovered relating to supplying drugs to others between November 2018 and August 2019.

Mr Galley said: "The Crown's submission is that they were involved in the night-time club scene and were involved in recreational drugs."

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said: "That is not a description that finds favour with me."

Hendricks, of Newsome Road South, Huddersfield, and Toyne, of Lawton Street, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to being concerned in offering to supply ecstasy and ketamine, possession of a class A and a class B drug with intent to supply and possessing a class A drug.

Both defendants are now aged 19 but were 18 at the time of the offending.

Anastasis Tasou, mitigating on behalf of both defendants, said they had become involved in selling drugs for a dealer they had built up a debt with.

Mr Tasou said the pair began taking drugs after becoming involved in the weekend nightclub scene.

The barrister said the pair had been pressured by a more serious criminal and threats had been made against their relatives.

Mr Tasou said: "They were then used by that puppeteer. They were given a way out of their spiralling debt by working off the debt."

He added that both defendants were too afraid to go to the police and too ashamed to tell their families.

Mr Tasou said Hendricks and Toyne came from supportive families and had bright futures ahead of them before the incident.

Both defendants were sent to a young offender institution for 28 months.

Judge Marson said: "Not withstanding everything I have read, only an immediate custodial sentence can possibly be passed to reflect this conduct."

"It is a tragedy for you and your families. But I have a public duty to perform."