A SHOPKEEPER must pay £2,000 after admitting selling illegal tobacco and cigarettes that breached health rules.

Trading Standards officers raided Goran Mustafa Mohamadamin's shop on November 20 last year and found 96 50g packets of counterfeit hand-rolling tobacco and 182 packs of cigarettes that did not display the required 'Smoking Kills' or 'Smoking seriously harms you and others around you' warnings.

Mohamadamin appeared in court yesterday and pleaded guilty to nine charges - six relating to cigarettes without the health warnings and three of possessing the illegal tobacco.

The 35-year-old was found out after numerous members of the public reported the shop on Great Horton Road to Trading Standards for selling illegal tobacco.

Prosecutor Harjit Ryatt said: "Officers went into the premises and asked the sales attendant if they sold cheap cigarettes. He said 'yes' and asked which ones."

The officer bought a 20-pack of Jin Ling that had no health warning on it. Officers searched the shop and found 35 packets of tobacco that could be mistaken for Amber Leaf and 61 that were supposed to be Golden Virginia.

Mr Ryatt said: "They were tested by a tobacco industry expert who verified they were not the real stuff."

Officers also found 20-size-packs of Richman, Pect, Benson and Hedges Silver, Jin Ling and Marlboro Original cigarettes that did not have health warning on the packets.

Mr Ryatt said: "He said he had not been aware of the need for cigarette packets to contain the health warning. That he had opened this shop for just under a year and because of financial circumstances he had been selling the products for £3, where as normal retail price was between £7 and £8.

"He got the cigarettes from a salesman who came to his premises and because they were offering good deals he purchased them and sold them on without knowing he was in breach of regulations."

Mohamadamin, who had no legal representation, said Trading Standards had visited his shop again recently. He added: "I did not know they were illegal. They came last week and looked around. I told them it was my mistake and I will never do it again."

Mohamadamin added: "I have a shop. I just want to finish it - I plead guilty. I am sorry."

Magistrates fined him £800 and ordered him to pay £1,160 costs and a £40 surcharge.