EIGHTEEN people appeared in court today over what prosecutors say was a huge-scale evasion of duty on cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.

It is alleged some of the team of people ran the plot to bring the contraband goods into the region while others acted as distributors.

The tobacco - which would have had £1m duty payable - was delivered to various addresses via post and courier services from overseas.

The group - from County Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Spain - appeared at Teesside Crown Court.

They are: Paul Hodgson, 44, and his son Joshua Hodgson, 22, of Forest Drive, Catterick; David Hodgson, 66, of Oaktree Court, and John Hodgson, 43, of Victoria Stables, Newbiggin, both Catterick; Ian Gregory, 58, and his wife Louise Gregory, 53, of Bevanlee Road, Middlesbrough; Tanya Hall, 37, of Greenbank Road, Daniel Whitmore, 24, of Pensbury Street, Suzanne Robinson, 39, of Thompson Street West, and Paul Hooper, 51, of Westmoreland Street, all Darlington; Pamela Hall, 64, of Church Street, in nearby Shildon; Joanne Haxell, 33, of Milltop, and Angela Marquiss, 36, of Stuart Avenue, both Richmond; Ashlea Kirk, 43, of The Potlands, Leeming Bar; Trevor Seal, 42, of Front Street, Appleton Wiske; Peter Jackson, 57, of no fixed abode; Deborah Bowie, 38, of Lindsay Avenue, Wakefield; and Spain exile Russell Blakeburn, 58.

All the defendants face a charge of conspiracy to evade excise duty, but did not enter any pleas at the ten-minute hearing.

They will next appear in court on June 17 and were given bail until then by Judge Howard Crowson.