A TEENAGER found with cannabis less than a year after being spared jail has been sent back behind bars.

Denzel Lebbie, 19, breached his Community Protection Notice that he was given in January last year for having a knife and attacking a police officer.

Lebbie was stopped in Delaware Road, Shoebury on December 12 last year and found to have cannabis.

Lebbie formerly of Deptford in London, was made the subject of the CPN after he was convicted in January last year for possessing Class A and B drugs, possessing a knife and assaulting a police officer.

At the time he was also given a nine-month referral.

Following his recent stop by officers, he was arrested and charged with possessing cannabis and failing to comply with a community protection notice.

He admitted the charges and was given an 18-week jail term, £700 fine and was made the subject of a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order at Southend Magistrates' Court.

Under the terms of the order Lebbie cannot enter Southend unless for a pre-arranged appointment; or make off from a police officer of Police Community Support Officer if they request him to stop.

A spokesman for the South Operation Raptor team said: "Many young people can find themselves getting exploited into drug dealing in the belief that it will be a glamorous or lucrative lifestyle.

"It isn’t, and Essex Police will continue to do all we can to make young people aware of the harsh realities of this way of life.

"You will be exploited, you will be the victim of, or expected to, perpetrate violence, you will also get arrested and may find yourself behind bars like Lebbie.

"It is a life with consequences and none of those consequences are good. And we will do all we can to arrest those involved in drug dealing and protect those who are exploited."

Lebbie was jailed on Monday.