A FORMER Skipton restaurant owner ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work after admitting a tax offence has been re-sentenced by magistrates.

Laszlo Levai, 30, was handed a 12 month community order which also included rehabilitation days and pay £2,400 compensation earlier this month by Skipton magistrates for not paying a VAT security bond of £39,636.

Levai, who ran pirate-themed restaurant Calico Jacks in Water Street, failed to pay the security bond to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to safeguard payment of VAT between January 13 and August last year.

Today (Friday), his case was reopened and Levai was re-sentenced after the court heard the offence did not in fact carry a community penalty.

Levai, of Trinity Row, was instead given a financial penalty and fined £312, with costs of £85 and a surcharge of £31.

Siobhan White, in mitigation, said Levai had been naive in his dealings with the HMRC rather than it being a deliberate act. He now works as a bar tender in the town.