A DRUG trial jury has heard Ipswich Town gave Michael Chopra around �250,000 to help pay off loan sharks as the scale of his gambling debts were laid bare.

The club’s chief executive Simon Clegg was called as a witness by Newcastle Crown Court to give evidence via a video link from South East Suffolk Magistrates Court.

When pressed to name a figure for the total debt he understood Chopra, 27, to have run up, Mr Clegg said: “Somewhere in the region of quarter-of-a-million pounds.”

Mr Clegg said he understood a “significant percentage” of that figure was due to gambling.

He added: “They were monies owed to individuals. The best of my knowledge is they were not institutions, they were individuals, not the sort of people I would be going to if I wanted to borrow money.

“I was aware Michael was concerned about repaying the money on time. He needed to pay the money back or he would find himself in trouble.”

Although there is no suggestion Chopra is linked to the alleged drug offences the court also heard he had been confronted by debt collectors at the club’s Playford Road training.

Despite the club’s loan the striker still has further debts.

Mr Clegg said: “I feel I have a duty of care for all the players who represent our football club, to try and support and assist them with any problems they may have so they can concentrate on what they are employed to do, which is play football.”

Mr Clegg had also helped arrange for Chopra to have a stay at the rehabilitation centre which retired footballer Tony Adams helped set up.

He said: “It was with Michael’s support we have managed for him to receive residential rehab for three weeks with a support organisation called Sporting Chance.”

Mr Clegg added he knew of Chopra’s plight when he signed for the club six months ago.

Chopra’s name was connected to the alleged ‘Class A drugs factory’ trial because it was claimed �50,000 found in the footwell of a Jaguar was drug money.

However, at start of the defence case it was suggested the cash was actually a payment made by Chopra as an instalment towards settling what he owed to creditors in the North of England.

Prosecutors claim Joseph Lewins, 53, of Washington, along with Daniel Chisholm, 49, of, Millfield, Sunderland, Christopher Bacon, 31, of Sunderland, and John Somerville, 51, of Newcastle, conspired together to supply class A drugs between April and November last year.

All four deny the charge. The trial continues.