A HAULAGE boss cleared after a high-profile smuggling trial today spoke of the moment charges against him were dropped and said: "My family has been to hell and back."

Customs and Excise bosses yesterday withdrew the case against four men, including former company boss Stuart Taylor, of Balderstone, nearly three years after they were accused of avoiding cigarette duty to the tune of £2.4million.

Mr Taylor was charged with three other men -- Nicholas Harris, 41, of Charles Street, Rishton; Darren Pollard, 33, formerly of Nelson and now of Brook Street, Rishton and Sean Bunkell, 36, of St Annes -- all of who were employees of Stuart Taylor International Transport, which was one of East Lancashire's biggest haulage firms.

Mr Taylor took 19 years to build up the firm, which employed 42 people, but it collapsed after the start of the trial, with Mr Taylor claiming were trying to disassociate themselves with the firm.

Mr Taylor also lost his helicopter tour business.

The move at Manchester Crown Court came when, following legal argument, prosecutor Christopher Cornwall told Judge David Owen proceedings would be stayed -- a legal term meaning the case is closed with no chance of being resurrected. A first trial ended in January last year and a new hearing was ordered after legal argument.

Since the start of the investigation, Mr Taylor, a father of two, has declared himself bankrupt.

Surrounded by his family at their remote cottage, Mr Taylor said today: "We can finally look to the future. We have been to hell and back over the past three years. I have lost my business, I have had to declare myself bankrupt and my sons have found life very difficult at school.There is no reason why they couldn't have taken this decision a year ago. In fact, the case should never have been brought."

All four men had always denied being involved in a conspiracy to illegally import millions of cigarettes into the UK within legitimate shipments of fruit.

Customs had alleged there were five contraband trips in six months which could have involved the illegal importation of 24million cigarettes at an estimated duty loss of £2,408,000 between August 1997 and March 1999.

Two other men, Stephen Wynn, 42, of Widnes, and Francis Beckett, 35, of Ormskirk, pleaded guilty at the first trial and are due to be sentenced.

Mr Taylor's wife, Jackie, said: "We have just had to carry on for the children's sake, but it has been very hard.

"It has been tougher for them than anyone else but at times like these you just have to pull together and try to get through."

Mr Taylor, whose two sons are Thomas, 15, and Jim, 13, said: "We have had more sleepless nights than you could possibly imagine because of this, it has been so stressful. We are still waiting to find out if we can take any action against customs for everything we have lost. I don't even know where the lorries they impounded are.

"For now, we are just over the moon that it is all over."