A BURY teenager was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday on drug trafficking charges in Thailand.

Michael Alan Connell, aged 19, was sentenced to death at Bangkok Criminal Court but it was then reduced to life imprisonment because of his confession and help with the police investigation into his case.

Connell, of Kestrel Drive, was arrested in November 2003 when customs officials found 3,400 Ecstasy tablets in his travel bag at Bangkok Airport after they were detected by an X-ray scan.

He had travelled from Britain to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates before flying to Bangkok.

Illegal drug use has been rampant in Thailand for decades and several dozen drug dealers have been executed in recent years in an attempt to discourage trafficking.

Prison authorities have revealed that currently nearly 400 prisoners face the death penalty in Thailand, with 53 awaiting execution after exhausting their appeals.

The jobless teenager, who has learning difficulties, is the youngest Briton to face Thailand's tough anti drug laws for 13 years

Police officers at Bangkok Airport discovered the drugs, worth £50,000, hidden in two empty tubs of body cream.

Following his arrest the teenager protested his innocence and said he would plead guilty to save his life.

He claimed he bought the lotion from Bury's Tesco supermarket before he went abroad.

Connell has been held throughout the court proceedings at Khlong Prem prison, nicknamed the Bangkok Hilton.

His father, Derek, said earlier this month: "Michael has literally pleaded guilty to save his life. His defence solicitor advised him to admit the charges levelled against or, under Thailand's justice system, he would have been sentenced to death. Michael is frightened and scared but he is innocent.

"He should be home, not in a prison in Thailand where last year ten prisoners died from the harsh prison system."

He said his son was gullible and naive.

After visiting his son Mr Connell said his overriding impression of the jail was the noisy environment.

He said: "It's very noisy. You realise your son's coming when you hear the clanking of the chains, clanking, clanking, clanking. Every step, you hear the clanking of the chains."

He added: "Michael climbed up to show us his leg irons and they're not little they are big, heavy duty irons."

Connell was born with profound hearing loss in his right ear. At the age of 14 he was permanently expelled from school after fighting with a fellow pupil.

No one was available for comment on Wednesday at the family home where Connell lived with his father, mother Maureen, and brother Adam, aged 17.

Last month Bury North MP David Chaytor pleaded with the Thai government for clemency for the former St Paul's School pupil and said the unemployed teenager pupil should face justice in Britain.