A BREEDER of rare parrots, jailed for smuggling endangered birds into Britain, could be home for Christmas.

Harry Sissen, 61, of Cornhill Farm, East Cowton, North Yorkshire, was jailed for 30 months in April, but a ruling by the Court of Appeal yesterday means he will now serve 18 months.

But Sissen remonstrated angrily with the judges, from the dock at London's Criminal Appeal Court after they refused to overturn his conviction.

Sissen, 61, was found guilty by a Newcastle Crown Court jury on four counts of smuggling nine birds into the country from eastern Europe, in the biggest case of its kind to come before a British court.

During the four-week trial, Conservative Party leader William Hague, who is Sissen's constituency MP, gave evidence that Sissen had complained to him about the Customs and Excise raid on his farm in which 140 birds were seized.

Sissen also admitted he had previously smuggled birds into Britain for his collection, but had no intention of selling them.

Three of the birds involved in the case were Lear's macaws, of which there are only 150 left in the world and which are classed as critically endangered by conservationists.

The other six birds were blue- headed macaws.

Sissen paid £50,000 for the birds from eastern European dealers and smuggled them into Britain in a concealed compartment in his car.

Having cut the sentence to 18 months, Mr Justice Longmore, said: "It must be recognised that trade in endangered species is prohibited or restricted for good reason.

"Whether the reason for the breach of the restriction is profit, obsession or conservation according to the lights of this appellant, all contribute to the illegal market which underlies the capture of these endangered species from the wild."

Mr Justice Ouseley said it was possible to "tailor" Sissens' sentence to reflect his age, his financial position having spent £50,000 on the birds, and the fact he was motivated by conservation, not profit. But as he was taken down from the dock, Sissen shouted at the judges.

His counsel, Simon Farrell, said later he had already served eight months in prison and would almost certainly be eligible for release on tagging before Christmas.

But he said it was the appeal against conviction that really mattered to Mr Sissen.