The new teams will target hardline smugglers in the region

There are claims that a port in East Sussex could become a haven for smugglers after the decision was made to withdraw customs officers.

Customs and Excise have moved all 13 officers at Newhaven to join a team which will cover the whole region.

They say it is not effective to have officers at the port and that the new system will be able to target groups of hardline smugglers better.

Graham Hooker from Customs and Excise said: "One local team on a permanent roster cannot man a port for 24 hours.

It is a green light for smugglers Norman Baker, MP for Newhaven

"I am planning to deploy more than 200 people who can be drawn in at short notice to actually take out these smuggling gangs when we know they are arriving."

Under the new method, if shoppers have more than the personal allowance they will be asked to phone a control room if they think they have something to declare.

But the move has worried Newhaven MP Norman Baker, who has called it a "green light" for smugglers.

He said: "I am very concerned that we are now seeing a total elimination of customs officers permanently in Newhaven.

"There were 120 in the 1980s, down to 13 now and it seems they are going to go entirely.

"That is a very bad message it sends out."

Mr Baker said there was a need for an intelligence-led operation but that officers should not be taken away from ports as a result.