A SHOPKEEPER who evaded more than £18,000 in duty, has walked free from court -- with a "bill" for a similar amount.

Father-of-five Masharat Khan, 48, who had bootleg cigarettes and tobacco stashed away, was fined £20,000, by a judge who gave him three weeks to find the cash.

Recorder Raymond Herman had earlier told the defendant he was giving him the opportunity to make reparation.

Khan, of Merton Street, Burnley, had admitted two counts of being knowingly concerned in the keeping of goods, chargeable with duty.

Dennis Watson, prosecuting, for HM Customers and Excise, told Burnley Crown Court that last October, an off-licence premises called Oliver's, in Newhall Street, Burnley, was searched by police, along with the defendant's home.

They alerted Customs and Excise, who found 144,000 cigarettes and 6.9kilos of hand-rolling tobacco.

It was quite apparent the goods were not for the home market, and Khan was interviewed.

He said some of the property was his son's, who lived with the family.

Khan said he had bought goods, at one stage spending about £12,000 and a further similar sum, from a man who came round offering cheap cigarettes.

He knew it was an offence to sell goods which had not had UK excise duty paid on them.

Mr Watson said Khan told officers he had personally contributed somewhere in the region of £1,500 and 29 or 30 other people in the family had also had a share. The total amount of tax evaded was £18,528.

Lesley Dickinson, defending, had said significant temptation had been put in Khan's way and he was very much at the retail end.

He was not involved in the import, organisation or distribution of the goods, but somebody had been touring the area to shops such as his with an offer difficult to refuse.

The principle motive was to benefit his family and he had at first pleaded not guilty to the allegations for fear of the consequences to his relations.