AN Army sergeant was caught smuggling CS gas into the country to sell on to training instructors for use on new recruits, a court has heard.

Michael Grundy, 36, told Customs and Excise officers that the Army hierachy "turned a blind eye" to the importation of the weapons as they were better than standard Army issue.

He said the gas was used on wayward new recruits to "teach them a lesson". It was sprayed in their faces in order to stop them forgetting to wear masks and failing to carry out exercises properly.

Yesterday, Newcastle Crown Court heard Sgt Grundy was stopped at North Shields International ferry terminal with 957 cannisters of the gas on November 27 last year.

Prosecutor Christopher Batty told the court: "He said first he did not know CS gas was a prohibited weapon or that there was a restriction on its importation.

He was going to sell them, for a small profit to cover costs of going for them, to Army training instructors .

"These would then be involved in the training of Army recruits, to use in their training for nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.

"He said the sort he had brought in were preferred by the Army to those of standard Army issue because it worked better, it could be more easily aimed at someone."

Mr Batty said to spray the gas into a soldiers face who was unmasked and unprotected would amount to an assault.

Sgt Grundy, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, denies being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the restriction on importation of gas .

The trial continues.