TRADERS in Gloucester were caught selling illegal tobacco just three days after being in court... for selling illegal tobacco.

Wahib Rage Bude, 40, and Saman Wahed Mohamed, also 40, both of Derby, had pleaded guilty to possessing and selling illegal tobacco products at a hearing on February 2 and were awaiting sentence.

However, three days later they were caught selling illegal tobacco again.

At a second appearance before the Cheltenham Magistrates Court on Wednesday, February 11, Bude and Mohamed entered guilty pleas to charges of possessing and selling illegal tobacco products.

They were each given 16 week prison sentences, suspended for two years, and each ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and pay an £80 victim surcharge and £500 towards costs.

A third defendant, Barham Hassan Rahim, 25, of Derby, failed to appear in court on February 2 and a warrant was issued for his arrest without bail. He appeared in court on February 11 where he entered a not guilty plea.

He will return to court again on March 26 when a trial date will be set.

The prosecutions come after officers from Gloucestershire Trading Standards visited a shop known as Superstore, 11 Grosvenor House, in Station Road, Gloucester, between June and September 2014.

They found the defendants selling cigarettes and tobacco not bearing the health warnings required by law, much of which was counterfeit.

Cllr Will Windsor Clive, cabinet member for Trading Standards at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "There are serious health risks involved with counterfeit tobacco products as there is no guarantee they have undergone testing."

"It great to see our trading standards officer continuing their work to clampdown on the illegal tobacco trade, keeping residents and honest retailers safe from this harmful trade."

Eddie Coventry, Head of Trading Standards, said: "These men showed disregard for the law by continuing to sell illegal tobacco after they had appeared in court for this offence."

"We hope these prosecutions will send a message to those who flout the law on illegal tobacco. Traders selling illegal products undermine legitimate shop keepers and we will take action against those who break the law to support honest retailers."