A father-of-five who said he was sorry for his part in the Bradford riots has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Asthma sufferer Safir Hussain made his apology in a letter addressed to a judge.

The 27-year-old married man, of Folkestone Street, Bradford Moor, Bradford, also expressed his remorse for bringing shame upon his family and wished he could turn the clock back.

Prosecutor David Kelly told the city's Crown Court how Hussain was caught on video hurling one stone at police on July 7 last year.

At one point during the violent clashes, he was about to throw a rock but fled with the object in his hand. He surrendered himself to police on January 30 -- five days after his picture was published in the Telegraph & Argus.

When interviewed, Hussain - who pleaded guilty to riot - admitted throwing one stone while he was part of a hostile crowd over a total period of seven or eight hours.

Hussain, who accepted that a hood was pulled over his head so that no one would recognise him, admitted someone could have been hurt.

Mitigating, Yunus Valli said his client had not been looking for trouble when he arrived in the city centre during the afternoon to go shopping and see some friends.

But he said Hussain - who had a "letter of commendation'' from a councillor before the judge - wished "with great sadness'' that he did not stay and become involved.

Mr Valli said: "He makes a heartfelt apology to the citizens and other members of the public in Bradford.

"He wishes he could turn the clock back, but he knows that is not possible.''

But the court was told that when a report was prepared on him by a probation officer, he claimed he had thrown stones because it was all the police's fault and they made him do it.