An international showman risked being sent to prison to save his family business, a court heard.

Monty Hammond refused to abandon fairground rides worth £2million and 40 staff in Korea after a contract there collapsed.

Officials would not let the rides out of the country unless a financial dispute was settled.

They blocked the port and refused to let rides including a Wall of Death be loaded onto a ship bound for England.

Hammond, 61, of Effingham Road, Copthorne, near Crawley, knew he had to be back in Sussex by April 4, to do unpaid community work.

He also knew that he faced four months in prison if he was not back in time to do it.

Hammond was convicted at Lewes Crown Court in November of failing to provide health and safety certificates on time for the company which manufactures rides, Somacase UK Ltd.

He was given a four month prison sentence suspended for a year and ordered to do 80 hours community work.

Judge Guy Anthony allowed Hammond to put off the work until April so that he could take the rides to Korea.

Hammond admitted breaching the order when he appeared at Hove Crown Court today. Martha Walsh, prosecuting, said Hammond had not kept a probation service appointment to do the work on April 4.

William McGiven, defending, said: "He had a contract in Korea but it was cancelled while he was out there.

"He had the responsibility of trying to get £2million of fairground equipment shipped back here.

"There were 12 rides, including the Wall of Death, children's rides, 14 stalls and a burger van.

"He was in the position that if he left Korea to come back to Britain his business would disappear.

"He knows he had a responsibility to the court to do the unpaid community work.

"But he also had a responsibility to his business and 40 employees."

Judge Anthony said he would not activate the suspended sentence and would allow the unpaid work order to continue.

He said Hammond will now have to do a total of 100 hours work and pay £150 costs.

He said: "You were given an exceptional opportunity to go out to Korea before your unpaid work started in April.

"It may well be that your business ran into difficulties and it was difficult for you to get back to perform the unpaid hours.

"The order of the court has to take priority but I can at least understand why you did what you did."

As he left court Hammond said he did not get back from Korea until two weeks ago.

He said the fairground equipment is now on a ship due to arrive back in England at the end of July.

He added: "I just could not leave the equipment because it is my life's work.

"I put myself at risk because there were other people involved as well.

"It was not just my equipment, some of it belongs to other showmen and I had to protect them as well."

The Hammond family have been travelling showmen for 130 years.

The business was set up by his grandfather Alf Hammond with a single coconut shy touring village fairs.

He runs the family business Monty Hammond and Sons with his wife Kay, 60, sons Monty, 36, and Charles 34.