Ross father of three, Nigel Powell has been jailed for three years for smuggling cigarettes into the country.

Powell, who ran his own haulage company in Hereford, was sentenced by a court in Kent for smuggling four million cigarettes into the country and evading £640,000 in customs duty. However, another man, Graham Warrilow, 62, from Burscough in Lancashire who was accused with him has been cleared.

A judge at Maidstone Crown Court told Nigel Powell it was very sad and disappointing to see him in the dock waiting to be sentenced for such a serious offence.

The 47-year-old had denied evading duty but was convicted by an 11-1 majority.

The court heard that Powell's lorry was stopped when he and Mr Warrilow arrived at the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles, France, on November 26th, 2008.

Mark Mullins, prosecuting, said customs officers carried out a search and found the cigarettes on a pallet covered in plastic.

They had travelled to France via the port of Dover the day before. While they were away, Mr Warrilow's mobile phone made a number of calls. Some were received from a Dutch number.

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