QUICK thinking by police patrolling the M4 near Newport resulted in them recovering a £24,600 haul of heroin.

Gwent Police officers were on their usual patrol when they spotted a a stolen Ford Fiesta on the M4 near the High Cross junction.

Cardiff crown Court heard the officers stopped a blue Ford Fiesta on the westbound M4 motorway on September 18 last year.

Prosecutor Leighton Hughes said after searching the vehicle, police found a bag containing brown powder under the front passenger seat. Tests revealed the substance to be heroin of high purity.

Steven Evans, 34, of Lloyd Road, Swansea and Ronald Findlater, 36, of Hollett Road, Swansea, admitted possessing the heroin with intent to supply.

Evans, who was driving the car, was jailed for five years, seven months and Findlater for two-and-a-half years.

Passing sentence Judge Nicholas Cooke said: "You involved yourselves in a wicked trade which utterly ruins lives. You can expect little mercy because the crime was motivated by callous greed."

Evans had £500 in cash on him and a metal bar was also recovered from the vehicle.

When Evans' home was searched they found a quantity of heroin and crack cocaine.

The court heard that Evans had two previous convictions for supplying cocaine.