A VULNERABLE young man was pressured into letting a criminal store a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition in his house.

When police searched John McAllister's house they found a sawn-off shotgun and two cartridges wrapped in a disposable nappy.

They also found a .22 pen gun with a spent cartridge in the breach and three .22 rounds, all of which were hidden in his bedroom.

After he was released on bail a second search two weeks later at his then address in Levens Drive in Bolton, revealed a stash of amphetamine powder worth between £9,000 and £18,000 on the streets.

McAllister, aged 26, now of Dorchester Avenue, Bolton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court to face sentence of possessing a swan-off shotgun and ammunition, possessing a pen gun and ammunition and possessing amphetamines with intent to supply.

Judge John Roberts said though he accepted that McAllister had been frightened of the consequences he had a duty to pass a custodial sentence to deter others from storing guns and drugs for serious criminals. He jailed him for a total of two years.

Prosecutor Andrew Blake said McAllister led police straight to the guns.

He he said he could not name the owner because he was fearful of the consequences. Two weeks later police found 235.2 grammes of amphetamine powder.

Again McAllister said he had been "persuaded" to store the drugs for the same individual and he reluctantly agreed, fearful of the consequences of saying no.

Defending, Saul Brody said McAllister was vulnerable and was approached by an aggressive and intimidating individual.

He didn't know they were guns and was too frightened to go to the police and reluctantly agreed.

After being bailed he was so frightened he fled to the Blackpool area and lived there for 10 months. Now he had a five-month-old baby daughter and was in a stable relationship.