A NEWPORT man is to be evicted from his council house after keeping a collection of weapons there, a court heard yesterday.

But Keith Wannell, 50, was spared jail after the judge heard he was his family's mainstay.

When police searched the father-of-four's local authority home in Constable Drive, Newport, they found weapons including a rifle disguised as a walking-stick and cartridges which could explode on or before impact, the court was told.

Wannell, who was described at Cardiff crown court as "quite a fastidious collector", admitted three charges of possessing prohibited firearms and ammunition and possessing ammunition without a certificate.

He was sentenced to ten months' imprisonment suspended for two years, coupled with a two-year supervision order.

Wannell will also be evicted from his house by Newport city council because he breached his tenancy agreement, the court heard.

Judge Roderick Denyer warned him: "Get rid of every single firearm you possess."

The judge said that on the face of it the offences carried a minimum five-year sentence but added Wannell was the mainstay of his family, alone looking after his children.

Prosecutor John Williams said the police searched Wannell's home and found a considerable number of weapons, some of which were sent to ballistic experts and which formed the basis of the charges.

Mr Williams said they were the walking-stick rifle, a pistol, the cartridges, which could explode on or before impact, and an amount of other ammunition.

It was found that the "walking-stick" could fire, as could the eight-year-old pistol.

Mr Williams said: "He fully accepted to the police having the weapons and said he had made the walking stick and was making a second one for a collector. He also accepted he had no right to have the ammunition."

Wannell's counsel, Andrew Jones, said: "He is a fastidious collector and finds himself before the court through sheer ignorance. He acknowledges how stupid he's been and that the consequences could be staggering.

"There is an unreserved sense of regret.

"He is the primary carer for a 14-year-old son and because of these offences, he is going to be evicted because he has breached his tenancy agreement with Newport city council."