A MAN has been ordered to pay almost £2,500 in compensation for attempting to smuggle nearly 50,000 cigarettes into the country.

Scott Paul Wilkes, of Dorman Road, Eston, Middlesbrough, was warned he faces jail if he is caught trying to evade Customs duty again.

Darlington Magistrates' Court heard how the 27-year-old, who had pleaded guilty to evading duty on 48,000 cigarettes, was paid £100 to bring the cigarettes back from the continent.

Along with two women, he was caught with the cigarettes at Durham Tees Valley Airport on February 27.

Although they had been on a flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, the cigarettes had Spanish health warnings on them.

Angela Philip, prosecuting for Customs and Excise, said he had been caught smuggling cigarettes on three previous occasions.

Rory Todd, mitigating, said: "Basically, he had been given the plane ticket and money to purchase them, and for his troubles he received £100.

"Effectively he was a runner for somebody else.

"He would not have participated in the distribution and sale of the cigarettes.

"It's not the first time he's been stopped, he accepts that, but it's the first time he's ended up in court."

Wilkes was sentenced to 100 hours unpaid work, and ordered to £2,447.20 compensation and £65 costs.

The chairman of the bench, Denness Garraway, said: "You knew exactly what you were doing.

"You were chancing your luck again and you were caught again, so there's nobody to blame but yourself."