A young backpacker has been remanded in custody by an Australian court accused of drug smuggling.

Paul Burchill, the son of Castle Point's planning director Ian Burchill, appeared in court yesterday and was remanded until July 30 but a date has still to be set for his trial.

The 20-year-old from Sandhill Road, Eastwood, was arrested on January 29 this year after allegedly smuggling a record amount of heroin into Australia from Thailand.

Around £5 million of the drug was found stashed inside four wood carvings.

Paul claimed he was duped into carrying the package into Australia by a man he met in a Bangkok bar.

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