A NORTH-EAST parrot breeder will have to wait until next week to find out if he is to have more than £400,000 confiscated.

Customs and Excise officers have launched a court case against Harry Sissens, 62, who was jailed for 30 months in April last year.

He was found guilty of smuggling three Lears macaws and six blue-headed macaws from east Europe. A total of 140 birds were seized during a raid on his farm at East Cowton, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

Customs officers claim that Sissens has profited from his crime to the tune of almost £404,000 by being involved in a commercial operation involving the breeding of the endangered species and are seeking to get the cash confiscated.

The onus has been on Sissens to prove that he has not benefited from the offence.

Judge Guy Whitburn QC said he would consider all of the evidence and reserve judgement until next Friday, at Newcastle Crown Court.