A MOTHER-OF-TWO smuggled almost 600kg of tobacco into the UK in a lorry-load of frozen chips, a court was told.

Pamela Breaks was told by a judge that under previous sentencing guidelines she would almost certainly have been sent to jail, but penalties had been "watered down."

The 39-year-old lorry driver, of Easington Road, Slaidburn, was instead given a community punishment order of 160 hours for trying to avoid paying duty of nearly £73,000.

Another driver Simon Mead, who was charged jointly, was given a 200-hour order for smuggling 600kg of tobacco and evading £75,701 in duty.

Breaks and Mead, 33, from Colchester, Essex, admitted evading duty.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Breaks was stopped at Dover docks in the early hours of October 29 last year.

Ryan Richter, prosecuting, said Breaks told officers she was just carrying a load of frozen chips.

When the trailer was checked, 578kg of tobacco was discovered in cardboard boxes.

Mr Richter said Mead's load was also searched and the tobacco was found. Boxes in both trucks had identical markings.

Matthew Kennedy, defending Breaks, said the single mother-of-two was normally a thoroughly hard-working, decent, responsible woman.

He said: "She accepts she succumbed to temptation to earn a little bit more cash to help her young daughters.

"She was temporarily blinded to the possible consequences. This has caused her a great deal of soul-searching, shame and embarrassment."

Judge Keith Simpson told Breaks and Mead that if they had been facing sentence before 2003, it was highly likely that both would have gone to jail.

He said: "Cases have been very much watered down, apparently on the advice of the Sentencing Advisory Panel.

"The fact remains, there is a very large amount of smuggling going on.

"That means honest taxpayers have to stump up a good deal more if the Government is to pay its bills and provide services such as hospitals."