A PORTER supervisor at Queen's Park Hospital in Blackburn has admitted selling bootleg cigarettes and tobacco to staff at the hospital.

But Blackburn magistrates heard that unless common ground can be found between prosecution and defence there will have to be a trial on a second charge of evading duty.

Brian Robert Duguid, 30, of Primrose Terrace, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to evading the duty on 100 cigarettes and 75 gms of hand rolling tobacco on November 7.

But he entered a not guilty plea to fraudulently evading £6,374 of duty on 13,200 cigarettes and 48.5 kgs of hand rolling tobacco between January 1 and November 6.

Daniel King, defending, said his client accepted that during the general period he did commit an offence of evading duty.

He said: "The dispute is on the amount and the overall period and the amounts currently in the second charge are nowhere near what the defendant accepts."

The case was adjourned until January 7 for a pre-trial review.