TWO men were in jail today after drugs were dropped from a plane over north Essex.

A package of cocaine and firearms was thrown out of Sidney Wright’s aircraft and a mystery man collected it from a field at Bradfield, near Manningtree, before running off.

But a court heard how two people on the ground saw the man get into a car and they managed to get the registration number and called police.

A short while later, Douglas Garrod was stopped near Elmstead Market.

The mystery man was not in the car, but Garrod, accompanied by a rottweiler dog, had a packet containing nearly two kilos of cocaine and seven semi-automatic handguns.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how as Wright, 52, flew over Stour Lodge, his blue Cessna light aircraft was seen by a man cutting some grass and an object was seen being thrown from the plane.

Wright landed the aircraft minutes later and went home.

Meanwhile, 29-year-old Garrod had driven from the scene with his mystery passenger, but police had been alerted and he was arrested.

Both men admitted charges of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and possessing firearms when they appeared in court for sentence.

Wright, of Seaforth Road, Westcliff, was jailed for a total of 17 years. Getaway driver Garrod, of Siena Mews, Old Heath, Colchester, was jailed for a total of eight years.

  • More pictures and full story of how two members of the public foiled drugs drop in today's Gazette