THE boss of a once "dead" club, who brought it back to life selling smuggled drink and cigarettes, has started a six-month jail term.

Stephen Youds, 47, then licensee of Haslingden Trades Club, ran an open-all-hours duty-free shop, cheating Customs and Excise out of nearly £60,000 over a year.

Judge David Pirie said the club had provided Youds with an "excellent cover" for trading.

He added that Youds had been of "positively good character" and hard working, and had been frank about what he had done.

Youds, of Regent Street, Haslingden, had admitted two counts of being knowingly concerned in dealing in hand rolling tobacco, cigarettes and spirits with intent to defraud. He had been committed to Burnley Crown Court for sentence by Pennine magistrates.

Norman Lowson, prosecuting for HM Customs and Excise, said in January 1998 the Customs staff received information about the sale of goods from the club, on Regent Street.

Observations were set up and customs officers called in and bought six bottles of spirits for £30.

The club was open from 9am until about 11pm, people were seen coming and going, and in September customs officers raided the premises and arrested Youds. Youds said the duty-free goods were brought to his club by others.

Officers found 5,080 cigarettes, 27.65kgs of hand rolling tobacco and 82 litres of spirits. Mr Lowson said it was estimated Youds had evaded duty of about £59,000 in a year. He had repaid £4,210.

Stephen Meadowcroft, defending, said the Trades Club had not been used for many years. It was "completely dead," but Youds worked hard to build it up to a thriving and busy premises.

Somebody had offered Youds cheap tobacco and although he was making very little profit himself, it was bringing in customers.

Youds also started a tremendously successful poetry club.

A man with no previous convictions, he did a lot of charitable work and helped others.

Mr Meadowcroft added: "He is filled with remorse and desperately sorry about what he has done. He succumbed to temptation to help the business by doing this."

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