THE owner of two Newport tattoo parlours has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting selling so-called legal highs, some of which contained class A drugs.

Police and trading standards officers seized 439 packets and containers of new psychoactive substances – better known as legal highs – from the two shops run by David Olsen of Power Street during an exercise in 2013.

The 51-year-old ran New City Ink in Griffin Street and another in Cardiff Road, which has been named both Body Fashion and Inksposure at different times, and had initially denied the charge. But he changed his plea to guilty when he appeared at Newport Crown Court on Monday, April 25.

He was arrested after an exercise in 2013 in which trading standards officers attempted to buy legal highs from a number of premises in Newport.

An officer was able to buy a substance from New City Ink, where they were told the effect it was intended to have and that it should be taken in a similar way to cocaine and amphetamine. A different substance was also bought from the shop in Cardiff Road.

Both substances were sent for forensic examination and the one bought from New City Ink, named Ivory Dove, was found to contain both class A and class B controlled drugs.

Police and trading standards officers then carried out warrants at both premises and seized 439 packets and containers of legal highs, along with documentation and other associated items.

After admitting the charge on Monday Olsen was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail, suspended for a year, and handed a six-month supervision order. He was also ordered to pay £500 court costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Both shops have since closed, although this is not believed to be related to the prosecution.