A TEENAGER has escaped a prison sentence after admitting selling drugs in a York nightclub.

Nathan Riley, 18, of Howard Drive in York, was arrested after a man told bouncers Riley had sold mephedrone to him in Fibbers in York.

York Crown Court heard Riley was found to have relatively small amounts of mephedrone and MDMA on him as well as £393 and a stolen driving licence.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst said he was satisfied there was no evidence to suggest he is a "dyed in the wool dealer", and believed the money had not come about through illegal means.

Judge Ashurst said: "You are not by any means stupid and your decision to sell those drugs will have consequences stretching into your future.

"You are very fortunate to have the support of your family. Not everybody who finds themselves in your position has the luxury of that kind of support. I imagine the last few months have been a time of concern and anxiety for them.

"They must have wondered if the next time they saw you would be in the young offenders' institute in Wetherby."

While Riley had passed the threshold for a prison sentence, he was given a community order and told to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also given a three-month curfew between 8pm and 6am on Friday to Sunday.

Riley - who was 17 at the time of the offences - had told police he had gone to Fibbers with five packets of mephedrone he had bought for £40 and intended to use himself, but sold three of the packets to an old schoolfriend who had approached him for £30.

Riley said he then spent the £30 on MDMA bought from someone else in the club.

When he was searched, bouncers found 1.48g of mephedrone and 1.12g of MDMA in his possession.

He pleased guilty to supply of a Class B drug, possession of a Class A drug and theft in connection with the driving licence, at York Magistrates' Court.

In a subsequent search of his house, police found a shoe box containing dealer-type bags - which Riley said was to split bags for his personal use.

The court heard how Riley was a promising young student about to start university.

Judge Ashurst said that to his credit, Riley had no previous criminal record and was frank with the police and pleaded guilty at the earliest possible opportunity.

He said: "It's a sad reflection there are many people of your age and a good deal older who regard the consumption of drugs as part of everyday life and ignore the fact that possession is illegal. If people do have the impression that dealing on a small scale is somehow acceptable then the courts have a duty to make it clear that is not the case."