Customs and Excise officers have launched a court attempt to confiscate more than £400,000 from a North-East parrot breeder, who was convicted of smuggling rare birds.

Harry Sissens, 62, was jailed for 30 months in April last year.

A jury found him guilty of smuggling three Lears macaws - of which there are only 150 left in the world - and six blue-headed macaws, from east Europe, in the biggest case of its kind to come before a British court.

In all, 140 birds were seized during a raid on his farm at East Cowton, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, Teesside Crown Court was told at a confiscation hearing to decide whether he profited from his crime.

Customs and Excise claimed Sissens was involved in a ''massive commercial operation involving the breeding of endangered species using smuggled rare birds", and had profited by nearly £404,000.

During last year's trial, Sissens claimed he paid £60,000 for the rare parrots, which Customs and Excise said was a lie.

Simon Draycott, for the Crown, told the court yesterday that Sissens had to prove he made the payment.

Sissens must also prove that £174,000 paid into his bank account over the six years before his conviction was not the spoils of crime.

He will have to show that a further 69 parrots found in his possession when arrested, valued at £169,000, were not smuggled from abroad.

Customs officials also want him to account for a further £9,830 transferred to his daughter, Yvonne Scales.

Sissens claims he has not benefited from the offences and his barrister, Simon Farrell, said his client had paid £54,000 duty to Customs and Excise when he brought the nine rare birds into the country.

The burden of proof in a confiscation hearing is on the defendant.

Mr Farrell, told the court this was a contravention of Article 6(i) and 6(ii) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

He claimed the reverse onus may fall foul of Sissens' right to a fair trial under Article 6(i).

He said that Article 6(ii), which states that people are innocent until proven guilty, is at odds with the confiscation hearing which forces Sissens to prove his innocence.

Sissens denies he had any assets, or passed any assets on, as a result of any crime in the six years before charges were brought.

Customs and Excise said they believe the breeder is worth an estimated £580,000, a figure disputed by the defence.

The case continues.