A father-of-one has received a reduced jail term after a judge accepted that he tried to help during last year's rioting.

Mohammed Ali Zaman was caught on film throwing three stones at police lines, but witnesses yesterday told Bradford Crown Court how he also tried to protect cars at a garage and usher youngsters off the streets.

Zaman, a married man, of St Mary's Road, Manningham, admitted riot and was told by the Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, that his sentence would have been four-and-a-half years.

But after hearing the testimony of the garage owner and a community worker, he decided Zaman's sentence could be reduced to just two-and-a-half years.

As well as hearing about Zaman's actions that evening, Judge Gullick was told that the 26-year-old had himself been the victim of a knifepoint robbery while working at a petrol station and had also given a statement to police investigating an assault on a woman.

Zaman's barrister Timothy Stead said whatever the wrongs of his client's actions there came a time when he realised that things were moving from protest to young people destroying their own city.

"It's his case that he had a change of heart and acted for the good,'' said Mr Stead.

Garage manager Zafar Mahmood described how he was unable to cope at his Whetley Motor Company premises when the violence broke out, but he saw Zaman and his brother pushing at least one vehicle off the road onto the forecourt.

Community worker and Prince's Trust outreach manager Mohammed Amran told the court how he and other community leaders went to the area after a meeting with police and it was at that time that he saw Zaman trying to get youngsters to go home.

Afzal Ahmed, 19, of Blenheim Road, Manningham, and Mohammed Nawaz Khan, 27, of Hanover Square, Manningham, were also locked up yesterday after they pleaded guilty to riot.

Ahmed, who was sent to a young offenders' institution for four-and-a-half years, was caught on video footage hurling three stones at officers.

Judge Gullick was also shown still photographs of him helping to push a metal beer keg towards the police lines.

Khan, who received a four-year jail term, also threw three missiles at police and was videoed on the streets over a period of four hours.