Lincolnshire laughing gas dealer 'too old for this'

Ediz Biler was ordered to pay £1,200 in costs

A judge has told a man who was caught with 472 laughing gas canisters at a music festival he is "too old for this".

Ediz Biler, 31, was arrested at the Lost Village Festival at Oak Hill Farm in Swinderby, Lincolnshire, last year.

At Lincoln Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to possessing a psychoactive substance with intent to supply others.

Biler was sentenced to 60 hours of unpaid work in the community and ordered to pay £1,200 in costs.

The court heard he was arrested after police attended the festival in the early hours of 26 August last year.

Prosecutor Phil Howes said Biler was in possession of a large amount of canisters which contained nitrous oxide.

"In total there were 472 canisters in boxes and in his backpack," he added.

Police searched Biler, of Footscray Road in Eltham, south-east London, and also found £90 in cash, a mobile phone and balloons which could be fitted to the canisters.

Sentencing him, Judge Simon Hirst said: "You are right in what you told the probation service in your pre-sentence report, you are too old for this.

"Do anything like this again and someone will lock you up.

"I also don't see why the public should pay for this, it is going to be a very expensive music festival for you."