A Keighley lorry driver who tried to smuggle thousands of pounds worth of tobacco into the country has been jailed for 15 months.

Basil Uschakow, of Dawson Road, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court last Friday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

The court heard how Uschakow was stopped as he arrived at Portsmouth Ferryport on April 12 from Caen in northern France.

Customs officers searched his HGV and discovered 724 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco hidden among a load of ceramic tiles.

A total of 97 boxes were retrieved from the low loader trailer, worth £87,466 in tax revenue.

Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger said: "This kind of fraud impacts upon the lives of everyone in this country as it deprives the Government of funds needed for things such as education and the health service.

"This sentence should focus the minds of those tempted by the lure of 'easy money' through tobacco smuggling."