Two women who sped past Customs officers at Newhaven in a car loaded with cigarettes have been sentenced.

Jacqueline Newnham, 49, and Sandra Wood, 48, refused to stop when Customs officers hailed their Ford Mondeo at the ferry port control point in July, driving straight through.

The car was later intercepted by police and returned to the port where officers discovered 150kg of tobacco and 2,300 cigarettes in the boot. Unpaid duty on the goods was about £18,000.

The pair, who were returning from France by ferry on July 25, each pleaded guilty to a duty evasion offence at an earlier hearing.

Yesterday at Hove Crown Court Judge David Rennie sentenced Newnham, of Lyndon Way, Manchester, to four months in prison.

Wood, of Jenkins Dale, Chatham, Kent, was sentenced to three months, suspended for two years.

Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger said: "This is an excellent example of how our new mobile teams are working.

"These two women were surprised to see Customs officers at the port at 4am.

"Newhaven port is not an open door to smugglers and we will target any smuggling attempts.

"Customs are continuing their crackdown against those who smuggle tobacco for profit using an intelligence-led, clearly-focused approach."

Anyone with information on drug smuggling can contact the Customs confidential hotline free on 0800 595000.

For more information, log on to www.hmce.gov.uk