TWO brothers, who are alleged to be part of a kidnap gang which bundled a man into a car boot, have claimed they were just going to meet someone who owed money.

Shafiqul Ali, 35, is alleged to have been the organiser of the kidnap of Christian Stanica

Bradford Crown Court has heard Mr Stanica was forced into a car, assaulted, and threatened with death if he did not reveal information about a missing drugs stash from a flat in Little Horton, Bradford.

Ali's 38-year-old brother, Shamsul Islam, is alleged to have driven him to the final location of the kidnap.

Both men, of St George's Place, Elizabeth Street, Little Horton, have denied kidnap.

Ali has also pleaded not guilty to making threats to kill and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Three co-defendants - Rashel Ahmed, 27, of Browning Street, Barkerend; and Monzur Ali, 25, of Sunrise Court, and Ali Hussain, 26, of Tivoli Place, both Little Horton - changed their pleas to guilty to all three charges, part way through the trial, and will be sentenced in April.

Mr Stanica has told the jury he was forced into a Volkswagen Polo, outside his flat in Mannville Terrace, Little Horton, on August Bank Holiday Monday last year, by three men who believed he had information about drugs which had gone missing from the flat opposite.

He said he was driven to various locations in Bradford, assaulted and threatened with being beaten or killed.

The court has heard police stopped the car, with Mr Stanica in the boot, in Hipperholme, near Brighouse.

The prosecution alleges that Islam drove his brother, in his black Mercedes-Benz, to join the Polo at the end of the kidnap.

But Shafiqul Ali told the jury that he had no knowledge of the kidnap and had gone to meet Ali Hussain, who owed him money. He said he met the Volkswagen Polo and his brother followed it to Brodley Close, a cul-de-sac in Hipperholme.

He said Hussain paid him £200. Ali said he had not seen the kidnap victim, had not seen anyone being bundled into a car boot and had nothing to do with a kidnap.

Prosecutor Ian Howard yesterday suggested the purpose of Ali meeting the other three men was to further his desire to learn from Mr Stanica where the drugs had gone.

Mr Howard claimed Ali had been involved in the incident from "very early on".

The defendant replied: "That's incorrect."

Islam told the jury his brother had asked him for a lift to pick up some money. He said he did not know where he was going, but his brother gave him directions from phone calls he received.

He said he stopped the car and the Polo stopped at the side. Somebody gestured to him to follow, which he did.

He said he stopped near to the Polo in Brodley Close. His brother got out, he turned the car round and his brother got back in.

He said he did not see the boot of the Polo open, had never met or seen Mr Stanica and knew nothing about a kidnap.

The trial continues.