A teenager caught storing an £8,000 drugs stash in his bedroom has been locked up for three years.

Danial Akmal, 19, was looking after almost 160 grams of heroin and crack cocaine worth £559, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Akmal, a taxi operator, of Aberdeen Terrace, Lidget Green, Bradford, was arrested after police seized the Class A drugs from a chest of drawers at his home on December 2 last year.

He pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply on a basis not acceptable to the Crown.

A trial of the issue was heard in front of Judge John Potter, who rejected Akmal’s version that he was bullied into being custodian of the drugs and did not know their value.

Akmal’s barrister, Yunus Valli, said: “He is a young man with no real criminal history who gets himself involved with drugs and unfortunately then finds himself in the dock.”

Mr Valli said Akmal had been naive and he was exploited by more sophisticated criminals.

Judge Potter sentenced Akmal to three years custody in a young offender institution.

He said it was “a significant stash” of drugs, packaged up and ready to sell on the streets.