A male escort moonlighting as a drugs mule has been put behind bars, after cops found him with £25,000 of cocaine in Surbiton.

Adrian Skervin, 28, was given a two year sentence, despite his local church pastor standing as a character witness and telling the court of his shame and remorse.

IT graduate Skervin, of Livingston Road, Thornton Heath, admitted possessing nearly half a kilo of the class A drug with intent to supply on June 3 this year.

Judge Paul Dodgson acknowledged that his role was as courier, not a dealer, but said prison was the only option to set an example to others.

Plain-clothed police officers approached Skervin in Oak Hill Crescent, after seeing him shove a car key down his trousers.

They later searched his white panel van and found 498g of cocaine wrapped in four plastic bags on the front seat.

He initially told police he thought it was rubbish and was about to throw it out, but defence solicitor Rupert Pardoe said he later admitted that it was a “cock and bull story” and pleaded guilty.

Sentencing him, Judge Dodgson, said: “You have a lot of talent, a lot of ability and it’s a tragedy that you became involved in an illegal trade.

“The effect of heroin and cocaine are enormous and anybody who becomes involved in this trade on such a large scale has to go to prison.”

His mother and siblings were in court to see him on Monday, September 7, and neighbour and church pastor Martha Scott stood as a character witness.

She told the court: “The effect that this has had on the family has been very traumatic. There have been occasions where the mother has broken down and I have had to provide counselling.”

Skervin was a school prefect with a good academic record, but became depressed when he failed to get a job in IT, his defence solicitor said.

He started work as a male escort, the court was told previously, and signed himself up to a website to act as a “surrogate boyfriend” to single women.

He added: “He is a man with a degree and a determination to work, who fell into bad company and bad times, with a catastrophic effect. He wasn’t dealing between friends, he was acting as a human mule.”