Offshore off-licence to relaunch

The Cornish Maiden will also sell goods off Hartlepool

Britain's first offshore off-licence was due to make its second attempt to restart its business this weekend.

Paul Berriman and Trevor Lyons want to anchor their boat, Cornish Maiden, 12 miles off Hartlepool and sell cut-price alcohol and cigarettes.

Customs officers have returned £100,000 worth of detained goods from the pair's first boat, Rich Harvest.

BBC reporter Keith Akehurst, said the launch was delayed while special locks were fitted to the new vessel's hold.

The goods were bought at a hypermarket in Germany and were sold to customers outside UK territorial waters without excise duty added on.

They were detained after the pair's first boat, Rich Harvest, took refuge from a storm.

Court order

But Mr Berriman, 46, from Stockton, and Mr Lyons, 53, from Newcastle-under-Lyme sought a High Court injunction to have their stock returned.

The Customs Service said customers must pay excise on any cigarettes or alcohol purchased outside UK territorial waters before they have finished docking upon their return.

Once customers have docked, any goods on which excise has not been paid could be seized, along with any vessel used to transport it.

The Customs Service said it would be monitoring the situation when the business reopens.

Bad weather foiled an earlier attempt to restart the business.

Before that attempt, Mr Berriman told BBC News Online: "Customs say we can stay in business as long as we advise our customers to declare anything they purchase.

"We'll certainly do that, but I'd like to see them police it."