Booze cruisers, fill your boots

By THIS IS MONEY
Updated: 12:22 EST, 10 May 2006

BOOZE cruisers can now stock up on cheap cigarettes and alcohol without fear of having their cars impounded.

Drivers loaded down with bargains from France or elsewhere in Europe will just be 'asked a few questions' to confirm the tobacco and drink is for their own use, and waved on their way.

Even those suspected of bootlegging will be allowed to keep their vehicles, providing they accept a warning from Customs officials and agree to pay the duty and a fine.

However, the softly-softly approach has alarmed health campaigners, who say it removes an important deterrent to smoking and drinking.

Alcohol and tobacco smuggling costs the Treasury nearly £3bn a year. But the Government's response - impounding 90,000 vehicles a year - has been deemed too harsh and a block on free movement of goods by the European Commission. Now, after a five-year battle, Britain has backed down.

The long-standing limits - 90 litres of wine, 10 litres of spirits, 110 litres of beer, 3,200 cigarettes, 200 cigars and 3kg of tobacco - will remain in place.

But booze cruisers will be allowed to bring more back providing they offer assurances it is for their personal use. The EC says it is happy with the compromise and has cancelled a proposed challenge in the European courts.

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HM Customs insisted it would continue to pursue bootleggers but added it 'fully upholds the rights of UK citizens to bring back unlimited amounts of alcohol and tobacco from cross-Channel shopping trips, so long as it is for their own use'.

However, Deborah Arnott of anti-smoking group Ash said taxes on tobacco were set at a high level as a deterrent, adding: 'The Government is rolling over without a fight.'