THE BOSS of a Bradford newsagents will appear at crown court later this month on charges of supplying so-called legal highs.

Pervez Abbas, 63, who runs Barkers shop in Sunbridge Road, was up at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court yesterday accused of four offences.

Smartly dressed in a suit and wearing a purple tie, Abbas appeared before magistrates to face one charge of offering to supply articles to prepare a controlled drug and another charge of offering to supply articles to administer a controlled drug, in relation to grinders, pipes and bongs.

He was also charged with supplying six packets of Formula X, between March 8 this year and May 10, the legal high contains Methyl Benzofuran which the Home Office has made the subject of a temporary class drug.

Abbas, of Oaklands, Idle, faced another charge of possession with intent to supply ten packets of Formula X on March 8 this year.

Liz Wright, prosecuting, told the court the matter had to go to Crown Court because magistrates' powers were not sufficient to deal with the case.

She said: "Formula X, referred to as legal-highs, were subject to a temporary restriction by the Home Office on their sale. These substances were supplied when they were restricted. The prosecution would say that it's not suitable to be dealt with in this court and should go to Crown Court."

She said the other two charges were linked because the articles he was accused of supplying could be used for the purposes of taking them.

"Your powers are not sufficient to deal with this here," the prosecutor told the magistrates' bench.

Abbas, who was represented by Shakil Ahmed, is now due to appear at Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday, September 16.

He was given unconditional bail.