A teenage boy was caught selling drugs to his classmates on the grounds of a school near Falkirk.

The 17-year-old was arrested after a fellow pupil tipped off the campus police officer at Larbert High School.

The pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to supplying cannabis at the school.

Procurator fiscal depute Gavin Whyte said: "These were school pupils who were being supplied. The school-based police officer was approached by a pupil in Larbert High School about it.

"The accused was selling cannabis to pupils at the school. The officer detained the accused and he was searched and cautioned.

"The officer discovered £170, a grinder, scales, small plastic bags and two mobile phones.

"The accused was asked if there was anything on the phones and he said messages to dealers.

"He told the officer 'I was going to go into selling harder stuff but I'm not going to now'."

Lynne Swan, defence solicitor, said: "He is a first offender and he was suspended from the school. He had a place at Stirling University but was unable to go.

"His mother said he is a very bright boy but he is 'not the same boy I knew five years ago'.

"He has had some difficulties with his mental health. He was financing his own drug use through this offence."

Sheriff Derek Livingston said: "People who use drugs almost invariably have some form of psychosis."

The teenager, who was arrested in January, was placed on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he complete 200 hours' unpaid work within nine months.

He was also given a 7pm to 7am curfew and fitted with an electronic tag for three months.

In March, education bosses at Falkirk Council gave the go-ahead to place a full-time police officer in all eight secondary schools in the council area, including Larbert High.

This made it the first local authority in Scotland to have campus police officers in every one of its secondary schools.