A man has been convicted of distributing cocaine and amphetamine throughout the Lothians and Scottish Borders.

The jury of 14 took just an hour to find George Thompson guilty of two charges at the High Court in Livingston.

Police launched a surveillance operation in 2014 after the greyhound breeder was linked to West Cairns Farm in Kirknewton, the site where cannabis farmer Alexander Cameron was murdered by his brother-in-law James Smith the following year.

Smith's wife Helen had reported suspicious late-night movements at the farm, which resulted in the major police drugs investigation focusing on Thompson.

Thompson, from Livingston, had denied handling and dealing in the Class A and Class B drugs at various locations in the central belt and the Scottish Borders between July 18 and November 21 2014.

The jury heard he had been under surveillance by Police Scotland's serious crime and counter terrorism squad for months.

Officers watched as he made contact with three men who were stopped in possession of controlled drugs shortly after they met him.

All three associates were later prosecuted and convicted of drugs offences.

A search of the farm uncovered three kilos of high purity cocaine and a kilo of amphetamine, commonly known as speed, in kennels used by Thompson.

Officers also found a half-kilo of cocaine in his Transit van when they stopped him on the A7 near Heriot in the Scottish Borders.

Thompson's son Stuart, 36, from Uphall, West Lothian, walked free from court on Wednesday after being acquitted of the same charges after the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

The total value of the recovered drugs was more than £500,000.

Detective chief inspector Kenny Gray said: "There is no doubt that George Thomson was heavily involved in the distribution of drugs throughout the Lothians and Scottish Borders, given the significant quantity of Class A drugs we seized from vehicles and properties linked to him.

"The cocaine was of a very high purity and we are delighted to have recovered it before it could cause untold harm to our communities.

"Tackling drug crime is a priority for Police Scotland and we robustly gather and investigate all intelligence from the public relating to those involved in offences of this nature."

Thompson was remanded in custody until he is sentenced on August 5.