Ex-Halesowen Town chief jailed

The former boss of a West Midlands football club who took part in one of the country's biggest cigarette smuggling crimes was jailed for five and half years today.

Guy Simpson, aged 53, of Heath Charnock, Lancashire, formerly chief executive of Halesowen Town, helped organise the shipment from China of more than 21 million counterfeit cigarettes.

He admitted fraudulently avoiding duty totalling £4.5 million on the shipment.