A 21-year-old man who tried to enter a Borders racecourse while in possession of cocaine has been fined £350.

Joshua Rogerson was one of 10 people arrested for drugs offences during a special police operation at Kelso Races on May 27.

He is the first of that group to appear at Jedburgh Sheriff Court where he admitted possessing £40 worth of the class A drug in the track's car park.

Horse racing officials have been eager to stamp out anti-social behaviour at courses throughout Britain with concern about drug use amongst spectators.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told how Rogerson of Gallow Law, Alwinton, Northumberland, had attended Kelso Races where there was a strong police presence including two dog handlers.

He said:"When he saw the dogs he moved away from the entrance and appeared very nervous.

"A wrap of cocaine worth £40 was recovered."

Defence lawyer Mat Patrick said: "He has taken this very seriously and is mortified.

"He has no history of regular consumption of drugs and has reflected on who he was with that day. It was the company he was in and he did what they were doing."

Mr Patrick said Rogerson had still to find out whether the conviction would affect his job as a grounds worker.

He added the first offender was "an intelligent young man notwithstanding this conviction".

Sheriff Peter Paterson said it was a serious matter and highlighted the problems taking class A drugs can lead to.

A team of 19 officers conducted searches at Kelso Races Ladies Day on Sunday. May 27, which attracted a bumper 5,000 crowd.

Thirty four people were searched with eight seizures of suspected cocaine and two cannabis recoveries.

Enquiries were also made after three discarded packages containing cocaine, estimated to be worth around £300, were found within the grounds of the car park..

Ten searches were carried out at the turnstiles and a further 24 drug searches were conducted by plain clothed officers patrolling the event with drug detection dogs also on duty.

Inspector John Scott from Police Scotland said: "We worked very closely with the event planners at Kelso Races to ensure that the day would be safe and enjoyable for everyone.

"Following issues at last year's event, we had a number of specialist resources in attendance to detect and deter any alcohol related-disorder, drug use or road offences."

Jonathan Garratt, managing director of Kelso Races Ltd, added: “We are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for our visitors, which means that we will continue to work closely with the local police to reduce the potential for antisocial behaviour.”