He was caught as he returned from holiday

A Doncaster lorry driver was caught with 17 kilos of cannabis in his suitcase at an airport as he returned from a holiday in Thailand.

Barry Hunt was stopped by an immigration officer at Newcastle Airport on June 11 this year and asked questions about his hold bag.

The 59-year-old said he'd packed the suitcase himself, was aware of the contents and wasn't carrying it for someone else - but when the bag was searched, officers found the drugs hidden inside, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Hunt then told a number of different stories on how he ended up with the drugs but ultimately maintained he was given the bag by unknown people in Thailand.

Hunt, of Skellow Road, Carcroft, was arrested and pleaded guilty to one count of importing controlled drugs.

Giving him a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 300 hours of unpaid work, Judge Stephen Earl said: "You're a very foolish man for a number of reasons that I can think of but, perhaps, you have already been there before me.

"A long distance lorry driver is usually not a stupid man."