A 52-year-old man who was arrested following the seizure of more than £600,000 of heroin in Bradford broke down in tears as a jury cleared him of any involvement with the drugs.

Bradford Crown Court heard earlier this week how the massive consignment of the class A drug was seized by police when they stopped a car at the Chain Bar roundabout off the M62 last September.

The car driver, who was the subject of a police surveillance operation, was arrested on his way back from a trip to London where he had been handed a holdall containing 25 packages of heroin.

When police searched the Ford Mondeo they found the holdall containing just over 12 kilograms of heroin in the boot. The court was told the drugs had a street value of about £616,000.

Forensic examination of the packaging revealed thumb and fingerprint marks belonging to married father-of-four Levent Atamturk and after further inquiries he was arrested four months later when he voluntarily attended a police station in the capital.

Atamturk, of Risley Avenue, Tottenham, London, denied a charge of being concerned in the supply of heroin and after more than three hours of deliberation today a jury acquitted him.

During his police interviews Atamturk said that he had been living with relatives last September when he was asked to help with a job in the garage.

He claimed he was asked to number and re-tape some packages. Atamturk said he became suspicious and stormed out of the garage when he realised the packages contained drugs.

Atamturk, who was living away from his wife and children at the time, insisted he had no dealings with drugs prior to the incident in the garage. "I know I'm in big trouble but believe me I'm innocent," he told officers during his interviews.

When jurors returned their not guilty verdict Atamturk broke down in tears and after being discharged by Recorder Simon Myerson QC he bowed to the jury as they left the courtroom.