A TEENAGER hid a machete down his trousers when his friend was pulled over on the M5 near Worcester.

Jordan Holyhead was a passenger in a car when he was pulled over at junction 7 (Worcester) and 'panicked', deciding to hide a machete from police by putting it down his trousers.

The 19-year-old admitted possessing the blade, a black-handled machete, without good reason or lawful authority, when he appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Thursday.

Officers pulled over a silver Vauxhall Astra at 11pm on Friday, September 11 and the occupants, including Holyhead, got out of the vehicle.

Mark Hambling, prosecuting, said: "During the course of a search conducted by officers a 2ft machete was found secreted inside his jeans trouser leg."

Holyhead was arrested and made full and frank admissions, telling officers he should not have had it and he knew it was illegal.

Mark Sheward, defending, said Holyhead had been a man of good character who had never been arrested or before the court before until his guilty plea to this matter.

The city solicitor said Holyhead was in the second year of an apprenticeship with Kwik Fit.

He explained that Holyhead, supported at court by his mother, was into 'camping and exploring and that sort of thing' but added: "You don't need a machete in this country. In Borneo you might."

Mr Sheward said Holyhead's mistake was to show the machete to his friend who lives in Worcester.

"He panicked that he had the machete in a bag in the car and put it down his jeans, hoping police would not see it" he said.

He added: "It's not the case he was going around waving it about, threatening anyone."

Mr Sheward accepted that the case crossed the custody threshold but went on to say: "It was a stupid mistake, made by a 19-year-old."

He argued that Holyhead, who is expecting his first child in December with his partner, had 'learned his lesson' and there was no need for him to go to prison. "This has been worrying him for weeks and this is not something that is going to be repeated," he said.

Magistrates sentenced Holyhead of Millmead Road, Birmingham to three months in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered him to pay a contribution to costs of £185 and a victim surcharge of £128.

They further ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the black-handled machete.

Mr Sheward reassured the court, telling magistrates: "His mother has made it clear he's not getting another one."