A former butcher who used his own car to ferry a drug dealer to meet his clients on the streets of Bradford has been jailed for a year.

Teyab Bukhari was arrested after two undercover police officers posed as buyers and were sold wraps of heroin and crack cocaine, the city's Crown Court heard.

Bukhari, 37, of Pool Court, Barkerend Road, Bradford, pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying controlled drugs. He was also disqualified from driving for four months.

Richard Clews, prosecuting, said the undercover mission was launched last summer under the title Operation Nutmeg.

On July 9, the two officers spoke with a

man in Little Horton Lane who told them how they would be able to obtain drugs. A phone call was made and ten minutes later a red car, driven by Bukhari, pulled up behind some nearby flats.

The officers bought £30 worth of drugs from a passenger in the car and were also given a phone number.

The Crown accepted that at that stage Bukhari did not know what he was becoming involved in, said Mr Clews. Five days later, the same thing happened at the same location and three days after that it was repeated again, only that time Bukhari was handed the

drugs and then handed them on to one of

the officers.

He was later arrested and admitted being the owner of the car but denied any involvement in drug dealing. He was later picked out by the officers in a video identity exercise.

Robin Frieze, mitigating, said his client

had worked as a butcher until forced to

retire through ill health. He had no previous involvement in the drug trade and had

only agreed to give lifts to a man who was a family friend.

Passing sentence, the Honorary Recorder of Bradford Judge Stephen Gullick told Bukhari: "This was street dealing and your particular role as the driver of the car was of the greatest importance, particularly to your so-called friend who was prepared to expose you to criminal behaviour."

Referring to calls for a national standard for the sentencing of drug dealers, Judge Gullick said Bradford had more than its fair share of difficulties in that sort of offending.

He added: "Judges in this building are entitled to reflect what we and others regard as a severe local problem."