A West Thames performing arts student caught with two handguns and some ammunition, claimed he had found the items in a plastic bag beside the Grand Union canal as he walked home from college.

But a judge at Isleworth Crown Court, Recorder Tudor Owen, didn't believe a word of it and told the youngster he was "an accomplished and clever liar".

As a result of the judge's ruling, 18 year-old Marcus Mascall faces a lengthy term in a young offenders' institution. He was remanded in custody for pre-sentence reports to return to the court for sentence in April.

Mascall, admitted three charges of possessing the two guns and ammunition at his home on November 30.

Prosecutor Peter Lancaster told the court that police officers from Hampshire investigating another matter, raided Mascall's home in Waterside Road, Southall and found a plastic carrier inside a rucksack in a wardrobe in his bedroom.

"Inside, wrapped in a pair of black gloves was a small handgun - a converted German ME8 that can fire 8mm cartridges, two of which were found in the gun," said counsel.

"Inside another plastic carrier was a bigger gun - a self-loading pistol which had been converted from firing blanks to firing 9mm cartridges," he said. "There was a magazine with the gun and seven rounds of ammunition which did not fit either gun.

"The defendant said he found them by the canal and was going to hand them in but because of earlier trouble with the police he didn't in case they might think they were his." said Mr Lancaster.

Mascall told the court he found the bag near a bridge in Norwood Green and picked it up and looked inside.

He said; "I didn't know what to do with it so I put it in my rucksack and walked home," he said.

In rejecting his story, Recorder Owen said: "I have no doubt that the defendant's account is a pack of lies."