AN aspiring police community support officer who police found with a knife in his car has narrowly avoided a jail term.

Jerome Dixon was stopped by police while he was driving on St Phillip's Causeway on April 29. When one officer thought he could smell cannabis in the car, the car was searched and a knife was found.

Dixon, 24, of Barratt Street, Easton, lives at home with his mother, has a two-year-old daughter, works for an insurance company and attends Learning Direct courses at Easton Learning Zone, where staff gave him a glowing character reference.

Judy Hampton, defending, told Bristol Magistrates' Court that Dixon had taken the knife from a young lad in Easton, telling him that he should not be carrying it.

Ms Hampton said that Dixon took the knife from him, left it in his car overnight and forgot about it, so it was still there the following day when police stopped him.

Magistrates told Dixon: "Knife crime is very serious indeed and this offence could be a high fine going up to custody. However, we have listened to what has been said on your behalf, we have seen the letters of reference and we believe that there is considerable mitigation.

"We note you are a man of previous good character. You have an enormous amount to lose by being involved with an offence like this. We recognise that you are using your time constructively. We believe your story."

Dixon was told that because of these reasons, the magistrates were giving him "a very exceptional sentence" of a conditional discharge, plus costs of £60.

The magistrates added: "If you do not offend again within a year, you will hear no more of this."