TWO BEER smugglers from Blackpool who cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds have been jailed.

Allen David Wade of Queens Promenade and Kalvinder Singh of Preston New Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to a £100,000 excise duty fraud. They were each sentenced on Friday to 18 months in prison.

According to HM Customs and Excise, the two men were involved in a Preston-based company, MDL Ltd, which dealt with hundreds of thousands of litres of beer smuggled into the UK. The contraband was then sold off from the company's Preston industrial unit to corner shops and off licences throughout Lancashire.

Several other defendants who had been used as drivers and couriers, and who had lived at various addresses in Blackpool, were also sentenced after pleading guilty to lesser charges.

Mark Jefferies received a six months' prison sentence. Benjamin Wade, Andrew Tharia and David King were each sentenced to 200 hours' community service and a 12 months' driving ban. Esterfan Vernon-Wentworth received a 12 months' rehabilitation order and a 12 months driving ban.

The smuggled goods and a VW seized when they were arrested were ordered to be forfeited.

Customs and Excise spokesman Bill O'Leary said: "This was a well organised and systematic attempt to defraud taxpayers.

"Smuggling and selling duty free alcohol is a serous offence and people found guilty can expect prison sentences.

"The honest shopkeepers who bought the illicit goods provided vital information in cracking this case."

Anyone with information about illegally imported drugs, tobacco or alcohol, or about VAT fraud can speak to a Customs officer in confidence 24 hours a day by phoning (0800) 59 5000.