An East Renfrewshire man is facing jail after he was caught with drugs and a firearm in a secret underground hatch at his home.

Francis Nelson, 39, was found to have herbal cannabis, cannabis resin and a stun gun in a hidden space under his floorboards which was covered by laminate flooring and a chest of drawers.

Police discovered drugs worth a total of £4,650 and cash totalling £4,272 during the raid on July 21 last year.

Nelson pleaded guilty to three charges at Paisley Sheriff Court last week.

He admitted being concerned in the supply of class B drugs, namely herbal cannabis and cannabis resin, in breach of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Officers found 412g of herbal cannabis and 194g of cannabis resin during their search.

Nelson also admitted being in possession of a stun gun, without permission from the Secretary of State or Scottish Ministers, in breach of the Firearms Act 1968.

His lawyer said the drugs and stun gun – which had not been charged, had a fault and had never been used – were in an "almost inaccessible" hatch at Nelson's home in Busby.

And he described his client as a hapless pawn, saying he was a "very vulnerable individual" who was "prevailed upon" by others.

Sheriff David Pender called for background reports to be prepared ahead of sentencing and adjourned the case until next month for that to be done.

He released Nelson on bail but warned him he could be handed a jail sentence when he returns to the dock to learn his fate.

Sheriff Pender told him: "The drug dealer and 'the heavies', if I can put it like that, like to be able to get their hands on the drugs and money quickly, not be moving furniture and lifting floorboards. It's a little unusual.

"It remains to be seen if I can deal with this in a way other than imprisonment."