A 20-YEAR-OLD man caught up in Operation Claire, the major police clampdown on drug dealing in Chippenham and Calne, was warned at Swindon Crown Court last week, to expect a prison term.

Andrew McCaffrey, of Braemor Road, Calne, offered to supply crack cocaine to an undercover police officer during a sting in the north Wiltshire towns last summer.

The former drug user was with another man, Adam Bainbridge, at the time of the offence.

He was jailed for four years for his part in the dealing.

Before his trial, McCaffrey changed his plea and admitted offering to supply a class A drug on July 19 last year.

Roderick Blain, prosecuting, told the court that McCaffrey had played a minor role in the operation.

Jonathan Simpson, defending, said that his client had no previous convictions for drug related matters.

"He has had, in the past, a habit. It is no longer."

He said McCaffrey has a steady job and stable accommodation and was not aware of the extreme likelihood of a custodial sentence."

But he said: "This was one man offering to supply on one occasion with no drug offences on his record."

He said his client had overstepped the mark and found himself out of his depth when the offence took place.

Judge Tom Longbotham however, said that in May 2000 and December 2001 the defendant was put on community service orders and he breached both of them.

Adjourning the case, he told McCaffrey, "You have pleaded guilty to what is a serious charge.

"I want you to be under no misapprehension that there is a very substantial likelihood that you must go to prison."

The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports.