A MAN bought drugs in a club which turned out to be fake.

Mark Morris, aged 27, attracted the attention of a member of staff at The Sugarmill in Hanley on October 19 last year.

Prosecutor Paul Spratt told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court that a large number of people had approached the defendant.

"Witnesses believed there was an exchange and the member of staff decided he should be ejected," said the prosecutor. The court heard the police were informed and Morris was arrested.

"He was asked if he had anything on him and he produced a bag containing five wraps of a brown substance," said Mr Spratt.

Morris confirmed it was a "bit of MDMA ecstasy".

The court heard the drugs were examined and were found not to be controlled drugs.

Morris told police he clubbed together with friends and believed he was buying ecstasy and he would have passed it on to people known to him.

The defendant, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess a controlled drug with intent to supply.

Stuart Muldoon, defending, said Morris was frank with the police and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Judge Granville Styler sentenced Morris to a 12 month community order with 200 hours' unpaid work and ordered him to pay £420 prosecution costs.