An arrest warrant has been issued for the owner of a store who failed to attend court over charges of selling counterfeit cigarettes.

Hemen Ahmed Hussain, 36, of Chislehurst Place, Bradford, was due to appear in court yesterday to answer 12 charges relating to Haji Euro Food on Southfield Lane. They include three charges of owning goods for sale with false trademarks –including packs of cigarettes marked as being West Red, Regal King Size and rolling tobacco labelled Golden Virginia, none of which were official.

He was also charged with possessing hundreds of packs of cigarettes without warnings about the health effects of smoking, as required by law, and not displaying a warning not to sell cigarettes to under 18s.

Hussain was supposed to answer the charges at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court yesterday, but failed to attend.