A SHOPKEEPER bought duty-free tobacco from holidaymakers then sold it on at his Colne store, a court was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard that Mukhter Ahmed, 36, had made a small profit.

Pennine magistrates had earlier fined Ahmed £1,000 with £50 costs and ordered him to pay £1,064 compensation to HM Customs and Excise.

Ahmed, of Oak Street, Colne, had been due to appeal against his sentence but abandoned the hearing.

He had earlier been convicted of allowing premises to be used for the sale of unmarked goods.

Ahmed had also been banned from selling tobacco products for three months.

Ahmed, whose shop is on Oak Street, was told to pay £150 costs for the Crown Court hearing after abandoning it "very much at the last hour."

Roger Baldwin, for Ahmed, told the court holidaymakers brought duty-free goods to him and he sold them on.