A Judge has accused a national newspaper of "entrapment" as the father of Chelsea footballer John Terry escaped a prison term for offering undercover reporter cocaine.

Standing at Basildon Crown Court - Ted Terry received a six month suspended jail sentence and ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service after being apparently snared in a newspaper sting.

His son, the England defender, who is due to fly out to South Africa for this summers World Cup was not in attendance.

The Judge said it was a clear case of "entrapment" and that Terry was "set up" by the News of the World who carried out the undercover operation. Going further, the Judge said the offence for which Ted Terry was guilty was "created" by the Sunday journal.

Terry senior of Chafford Hundred, Essex, admitted supplying 3.5 grams of the Class A drug to a News of the World journalist, who was posing as a chauffeur for millionaire businessmen. That journalist had frequented the Essex wine bar over a number of weeks in an attempt to 'befriend' John Terry's dad.

The footage showed him agreeing to hand over the class A drugs from his regular supplier at a price of £120 - provided he received an additional £40 to buy a gram for himself.

The recording allegedly captured the following:

"If they're happy with it, talk to me and I'll most probably be able to get you discount.

I can most probably get it f***ing cheaper but he don't know you, so he's charging you the right price, know what I mean?"

Ted, whose son earns £160,000 a week, lives nearby in a £250,000 house that John bought for him.

Earlier this year John Terry was accused of having an affair with lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel, the ex-partner of England team-mate Wayne Bridge - he was later stripped of the England captaincy.

Photo - Wikipedia