Police found more than £7,000 worth of cannabis at a house in Birkby when they went to search for a wanted man.

Leeds Crown Court heard the person they were after was not at the house in Blacker Road but they could smell cannabis and found bags of it in the living room at the rented property.

John Topham prosecuting said the property was rented to a Waqas Ahmed who was also not there, but present was Aaqib Saghir who denied responsibility for the 875 grammes of skunk cannabis recovered.

He claimed initially to have just spent the night at the property. Later his fingerprint was found on one of the bags of cannabis.

Anastasis Tassou representing Saghir said the crown did not dispute it was Waqas who was the significant person involved with the cannabis. He is still wanted by police.

But he said Saghir accepted he had been told by that man he could help himself to some cannabis for his own use which was why his fingerprint was on one bag.

He said Saghir’s telephone was scrutinised and there was nothing on it to link him with drug dealing but he accepted while at the man’s house he would have prevented anybody else from taking the cannabis while he was there.

Saghir, 20, of Skipton Avenue, Fartown, Huddersfield admitted possessing the cannabis with intent to supply and was given a five month prison sentence suspended for two years with a 30 day activity requirement.