A 19-year-old Essex man has denied supplying Class B drugs and will face a trial next year.

Owen Hooper, of Garden Field Cottages, Little Horkesley, near Colchester, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Hooper pleaded not guilty to a single charge of possessing Class B drugs (cannabis) with intent to supply on February 11, 2020.

A further case management hearing will take place on July 16.

Hooper's trial has been placed in a two-week warned list for May 16, 2022.

Judge Rupert Overbury apologised to Hooper for the length of time before his trial and said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the most complex and serious cases have to take priority.

The judge added: "It means cases like this are being put off for a long time, so you will have to wait a bit."