A STUDENT who ran a “cannabis club” at Oxford Brookes University was spared a prison sentence after a judge praised his mother for telling police about the racket.

Alexander Bull, 20, made thousands of pounds from selling drugs to fellow students at the university.

His mother Ruth Bull called police after finding her son’s drugs stash in his bedroom at the family home in London.

Officers then raided Bull’s Oxford digs and seized his computer, which included an entry where he bragged about getting hold of a kilogram of the drug.

The court heard on Monday that Bull was “caught up in the cannabis tide gushing around Oxford Brookes”.

Judge Peter Clarke reassured parents they ran a lesser risk of seeing their children go to prison if they reported them to police as he gave Bull a suspended prison sentence.

Mrs Bull, who works in banking, wept as her son admitted his guilt at a court hearing last month, when he was warned he could be behind bars at Christmas.

Blackfriars Crown Court was told Bull, who turns 21 next week, bears some “ill-feeling” towards his mother, but the judge said he had avoided spending years behind bars because of her actions.

The judge described Bull as the “hub of a small wheel of soft drug supply at university, of which you were an enthusiastic member”.

He told Bull: “I quite understand why it was said on your behalf that there is some ill-feeling towards your parent for reporting you to the authorities.

“I will say immediately that her doing that has kept you out of prison. The sentence I would normally be imposing would be a period of years.

He added: “Had you been caught without her assistance, I would have no difficulty in sending you to prison.

“You have a lot to thank your mother for in the circumstances.”

The judge said Bull had also made “considerable efforts” to rid himself of his addiction, though he had left the university.

Mark James-Dawson, prosecuting, said Bull’s notebook contained lists of names, described drug deals of £10 to £20 and amounts of £4,000 or £5,000.

Thomas Nicholson-Pratt, defending, claimed Bull and his peers chipped in to buy the cannabis together at a time when he was a “very, very heavy user”.

The barrister added: “This is really supply to feed his own habit.

“He was caught up in the cannabis tide gushing around Oxford Brookes.”

Mr Nicholson-Pratt added: “The fact that it was his mother that reported him has caused difficulty between them.”

Judge Clarke gave Bull a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, and told him to do 150 hours of community work. Bull, of Colosseum Terrace, Camden, admitted possessing 12mg of cocaine and 1.64g of cannabis resin, and possessing 26.02g of skunk cannabis with intent to supply on April 9.

Oxford Brookes spokesman Kate Moore said: “We have a policy which states clearly that the use of illegal drugs is not tolerated.

“Any student suspected of supplying drugs would be reported to the police immediately. We work closely with the police and believe this to be an isolated incident.”