A LORRY driver denied that a £10,000 banker's draft was his payment for a drug smuggling run to the Continent.

Michael Hatton said the cash had been given to him by his parents to pay for drug fertility treatment for him and his wife. But when taken through his bank statements, Hatton agreed he could not identify any transactions that might have related to payment for the medical treatment.

Hatton and mechanic Thomas Bradley together with their boss, Victor Davies, are on trial accused of smuggling £1million worth of cocaine and heroin in a lorry airtank and of attempting to money launder the proceeds of drug smuggling.

Davies, aged 48, of Stratton Drive, Platt Bridge, Wigan, 37-year-old Bradley, of Knightswood, Bolton, and Hatton, aged 38, of Thistlelton Road, Bolton, are on trial at Bolton Crown Court.

They are jointly accused of being knowingly involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of goods.

Davies faces two further charges of attempting to conceal the proceeds of drug trafficking.

Hatton faces two charges of knowing or suspecting that a quantity of banknotes were the proceeds of drug trafficking.

The three deny all charges.

The prosecution said the case involved smuggling cocaine and heroin worth more than £1million on the streets.

The drugs were allegedly brought into the country on May 30 last year concealed in the air tank of the tractor unit of an articulated lorry.

(Proceeding)