A CUSTOMS officer told a court how he followed a lorry driver suspected of smuggling drugs worth more than £1 million.

Nicholas Cookson said he had seen Michael Hatton, accompanied by a young man with blond hair, at Dover ferry terminal.

He watched the pair on the ferry crossing to Dunkirk before following the lorry on its route through France, Belgium and Holland.

He followed the lorry as it made its way towards Ghent and Antwerp in Belgium until it crossed the Dutch border, where other officers took over.

Mr Cookson said the lorry was followed back to Liverpool and he was part of a team of customs officers who searched the premises belonging to Vic Davies Transport and took away financial documents, including expenditure books, receipts, wallet, passport and tachograph sheets.

Haulage company boss Victor Davies, driver Michael Hatton, and mechanic Thomas Bradley were all arrested.

Davies, aged 48, of Stratton Drive, Platt Bridge, Wigan; Thomas Bradley, aged 37, of Knightswood, Deane, Bolton; and Michael Hatton, aged 38, of Thistleton Road, Deane, appeared at Bolton Crown Court accused of being knowingly involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of goods. They denied the offence.

Davies has also pleaded not guilty to two further charges of attempting to conceal the proceeds of drug trafficking.

Hatton also denies two charges of knowing or suspecting that a quantity of banknotes were the proceeds of drug trafficking and attempting to remove them to assist another person to avoid prosecution.

The prosecution said the case involved smuggling cocaine and heroin with a street value of more than £1 million.

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

Bradley was seen to carry a box while wearing gloves and place it in the rear of a Mitsubishi four-wheel drive.

The box contained 19 packages and forensic examination showed that 16 kilos were 100 per cent pure crack cocaine powder, and one kilo was 100 per cent pure heroin with a street value of in excess of £1 million.

(proceeding)