A MAN failed in his attempt to smuggle drugs onto the Isle of Wight Festival site by hiding a tube containing a variety of them up his bottom, an Island court was told.

Joseph Bradshaw, of High Street, Wootton, admitted to three charges of drugs possession, namely amphetamine, MDMA and cannabis, in Newport, on June 21, when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

At around 5.50pm that day, Bradshaw entered the festival site at Seaclose Park and passed a 'drugs dog', whose behaviour alerted a security officer, who witnessed the 46-year-old had removed a cylindrical item from his anus, said Lauren Stone, prosecuting.

Police on the site, alerted to the discovery, checked the item, which contained 4g of cannabis, 3g of amphetamine (or 'speed'), and a bag that contained several MDMA (ecstasy) pills.

Bradshaw was subsequently arrested and the police followed up the arrest that day, by conducting a search of Bradshaw's home address, where they found, separated into multiple containers, cannabis, of varied degrees of strength.

In 2010, Bradshaw was convicted of possessing drugs with intent to supply and was handed an eight-month suspended jail term.

For Bradshaw, Jim Osborne said his client disputed removing the drugs from his anus, claiming he withdrew it from his trousers.

In mitigation, Mr Osborne said Bradshaw suffered from depression at the loss of his mother to cancer 20 years ago, and used cannabis to cope with it.

Magistrates ordered a report on Bradshaw, due to the large quantity of drugs he had in his possession, to consider all sentencing options, including imprisonment.

Bradshaw was bailed to reappear for sentencing at the same venue on September 20.