A crack cocaine dealer was still missing tonight after Bradford's top judge called for an investigation into how he was allowed to escape justice.

Teyab Bukhari, 41, had been facing jail after pleading guilty to heroin and crack cocaine charges but he failed to show up at court to be sentenced.

The Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, said he would write to the Divisional Commander of Bradford South Police, Chief Superintendent Sarah Brown, to find out what had gone wrong.

It emerged at Bukhari's sentencing hearing at Bradford Crown Court that prosecutors were unable to establish if he had been reporting to Trafalgar House police station after admitting his offences.

He had been ordered to visit the station three times a week - on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday - as part of his bail conditions, which were extended on March 6 when he pleaded guilty to ten charges of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

An investigation into what had happened has now begun.

Chief Superintendent Tim Redhead, of Bradford South Police, said that only "limited" information had been received by the police in January. He said there had been a breakdown in the process between the courts and West Yorkshire Police's Criminal Justice Support department, based at force headquarters in Wakefield.

Chief Supt Redhead said: "I have ascertained that limited information around Mr Bukhari was received by the Criminal Justice Support department in January but the information received by them was not sufficient for them to do anything with it.

"There seems to be a process breakdown between the courts and the criminal Justice Support department, so I have referred the matter to the Criminal Justice Support department."

The department deals with the results of court cases before updating the Police National Computer (PNC) to enable West Yorkshire Police to pass on information to other forces.

There was no-one available for comment from the Criminal Justice Support department when contacted by the T&A today.

Judge Gullick issued a warrant for the arrest of Bukhari, of Pool Court, Barkerend Road, Bradford, when he failed to attend court yesterday.