Radio 1 DJ jailed on drug charge

The 40-year-old DJ has been with Radio 1 since 1998

BBC Radio 1 DJ Grooverider has been jailed for four years in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for cannabis possession.

The DJ - real name Raymond Bingham - was arrested in November 2007 for flying in for a nightclub gig with 2.16g of cannabis in his luggage.

Bingham denied smuggling drugs, claiming he had left the cannabis in a trouser pocket and forgotten about it.

"Grooverider has paid a very high price for a serious mistake," a spokesman for Radio 1 said.

The 40-year-old has been with the station since 1998 and hosted the weekend drum 'n' bass show with fellow DJ Fabio.

'Ridiculous' arrest

The programme, which has broadcast without him since his arrest, will continue under the title Radio 1's Drum 'n' Bass Show With Fabio.

Grooverider had been employed on a freelance basis and has not been paid by the station since November.

Four years is the minimum sentence for drug trafficking in the UAE.

In the last 12 months, 64 British nationals have been arrested in the UAE for drugs offences

The DJ, who called his arrest "ridiculous" in an interview last month, has two weeks to appeal.

"I must have forgotten the spliff," he said in the interview. "It was a small amount. Back home I would not even get prosecuted."