A drug dealer who was caught thanks to an anti-crime initiative in Keighley town centre has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Zahid Bashir, 23, was arrested because a shopper saw him hiding a package in bushes and reported the incident to store guards who were part of the Shop Link scheme.

Using their radio network, they contacted PC Paul Sullivan who advised guards David Woods, from Marks & Spencer, and Richard Butcher, from Sunwin House, to watch the package until he arrived.

When Bashir and another man returned to the package the men apprehended them even though Bashir made a bid to get away.

Bashir, of Bankfield Drive, Braithwaite, Keighley, was found in possession of £285 in cash and the other man was holding the package which contained eight rocks of crack cocaine and more than 12 wraps of heroin.

Bashir claimed during a trial at Bradford Crown Court that the drugs had been for his own use, but he was convicted of possessing the Class A drugs with intent to supply.

Jailing him yesterday, Assistant Recorder Paul Sloan said money found on Bashir was connected with drug dealing and that he was going to sell the drugs for profit.

He said: "The drugs you were intending to sell are dangerous. They are highly addictive and these offences are so serious that only custodial sentences can be justified.''

After the case PC Sullivan, chairman of the Shop Link committee, revealed that Bashir's sentence had come on the second anniversary of the Shop Link scheme.

"This does prove the value of Shop Link,'' he said. "This arrest would not have happened without Shop Link," he said.

"We've had many successes and most of my personal arrests come as a result of Shop Link. It has been an outstanding success and has far exceeded my expectations, which were quite high having looked at other schemes.''

PC Sullivan said the two security guards deserved praise for their actions and he added: "I will be putting in a full report and suggesting some form of public recognition for them from the police."

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