A SKIPTON man who rang 101 because he felt ill after taking a spoonful of codeine has admitted possessing a controlled drug which had not been prescribed.

Reece Midgley, 23, of Firth Street, pleaded guilty before Skipton magistrates to the charge of possessing 90 millilitres of liquid codeine which occurred on October 12 last year.

Magistrates were told by prosecutor Nadine Clough that Midgley had felt ill after taking a spoonful of the medication which he claimed he had been given by an un-named friend and thought it was a legal medication. He had not paid for it.

He phoned 101 and said he had taken the drug.

Representing Midgley, Mo Hussain said his client suffered from anxiety. He was already on a conditional discharge after trying to grow some cannabis for his own use.

"He thought the codeine would help his anxiety and thought it was legal because it was available on prescription. He now knows it is not," said Mr Hussain.

Magistrates ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the codeine.

They also fined Midgley £120 and ordered him to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £34.

They offered no separate penalty for the breach of his conditional discharge.