A teenager accused of drug dealing today told a court he was forced into it by men who threatened to shoot his dog.

Sonny Mannion, 17, is accused of having up to £13,000 of crack cocaine and heroin in his flat in Banbury Road, Summertown, Oxford.

He denies two charges of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

The jury at Oxford Crown Court heard Mannion was arrested in March after police received a tip-off from a passer-by who told officers he saw the teenager acting suspiciously in an alleyway near his home.

Nigel Daly, prosecuting, said police found a bag containing 56 wraps of heroin in shrubbery near where Mannion was arrested and later searched his flat where they found 41g of crack cocaine and a further 69g of heroin as well as £730 in cash.

He said the drugs could have a street value of up to £13,110.

Mr Daly said: "He told police he found the cash and a large amount of drugs. He did not know what the drugs were but he took them back to his flat."

But when Mannion took the stand he said he had been made to deal the drugs to pay off a £130 debt and had lied to police because he was scared.

He said he had bought cannabis from a man called Rex but was unable to pay the £130 cost and was later forced into a car by Rex and two of his friends named Tee and Locks who drove him to his flat.

Mannion said: "They said I would have to hold something for them.

They said 'We will shoot your dog'. They said they had a gun. They said they would try to shoot my mum if they had to."

Mannion said Tee stayed with him for two months, paying for his food and giving him cannabis, while making him help sell the drugs. The trial continues.