A FORMER long-serving Kent police officer is facing sentence after pleaded guilty to bootlegging charges.

Boyd Adams, who joined Kent Police in 1974, was working as a custody sergeant in Folkestone when he committed the offences.

Adams, 54, was due to stand trial at Maidstone Crown Court on five charges involving evasion of customs duty.

But the prosecution accepted his guilty pleas to two of the charges - being knowingly concerned in harbouring or dealing with excise goods at his home in Hamstreet, near Ashford, and elsewhere between January 1 and 23 last year and evading duty between August 4 2000 and January 20 last year.

Judge Michael Neligan ordered that the remaining charges should lie on the court file.

Thomas Allen, prosecuting, said there was an agreed basis of plea that the total duty evaded was £11,700. There was an 18-month period, he said, relating to when goods were sold.

Daniel Flahive, prosecuting, told the judge: “He has been, prior to losing his employment, a serving police officer in the county.”

Mr Flahive said Adams’s marriage had broken up and he suffered from ill-health. He had recently set up a small business and was “trying to get back on his feet”. Others relied on him for employment.

Refusing a pre-sentence report, Judge Neligan said that if he decided that a community penalty should be imposed a probation officer could inform him if Adams was suitable for such work.

But he added: “Absolutely no promises of any nature are being made.” Sentence was adjourned to a date to be fixed. Confiscation proceedings are due to be heard early next year.

Adams, formerly of Glenville Cottage, Hamstreet, and now of Torcross Grove, Calcot, Reading, Berkshire, was released on unconditional bail.