A soldier from Bury St Edmunds has been sentenced to four years in prison after being caught attempting to smuggle 11lb (5kg) of cocaine into the UK.

Private Daryl Archer, of Merville Barracks, Colchester, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraudulent evasion of a prohibition in the importation of a Class A drug at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday.

Archer was arrested on January 8 at Heathrow Airport having landed on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The 26-year-old, a private with 13 Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, was interviewed by Border Force staff following his arrival before being handed over to officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

According to his Facebook page, Archer went to Thurston Community College, before studying carpentry at West Suffolk College in Bury. He later worked as a doorman at De Niro's nightclub in Newmarket and Flex nightclub in Bury.

Archer is likely to face discharge from the army following the conviction.

An army spokesman said: 'We are aware of the conviction and sentencing of a soldier for the importation of a controlled substance. We are not prepared to release any personal information relating to this incident.

'All those who are found to fall short of the Army's high standards or who are found to have committed an offence under the Armed Forces Act are dealt with administratively, up to and including discharge, or through the discipline process, as appropriate.'