A 50-year-old man who ran more than 100 "booze cruises" to the Continent was today beginning a two-year prison sentence.

James Sampson admitted acting as the driver on repeated trips abroad over a three-and-a-half year period and being involved in evading excise duty on tobacco and alcohol estimated at £70,000.

Barrister Andrew Lees, for Sampson, stressed he was not involved in the purchase and sale of the goods, but he conceded his client had benefited by providing a "fare-paying passenger service'' for those involved in commercial dealing.

"What he was doing effectively was providing a booze cruise service, if I can put it that way, to allow others to go with him on trips abroad and bring back alcohol," he told Bradford Crown Court.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lumley said that on one trip, in October 1998, Sampson and two other men were stopped at Dover and found to be carrying 15 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco, 1,200 cigarettes and six litres of spirits.

In March 2000, observations were carried out on Sampson's address in King Street, Eccleshill, and after a similar operation in July of that year he was arrested by Customs officers.

He was found to be in possession of £1,860 and documents containing names and addresses of people the prosecution say he had taken on cross-Channel trips.

Sampson admitted two charges of being concerned in dealing in dutiable goods between January 1997 and July 2000 with intent to defraud. He also admitted two further allegations relating to being concerned in the keeping of 6,200 cigarettes, 48.35 litres of spirits and 106.5 litres of wine with intent to defraud in July 2000.