A YORK gun dealer accused of smuggling weaponry into the United States may be allowed to return home to Britain after all, until he can stand trial.

A judge in America previously ruled that Gary Hyde, 41, who has been suspended from his position as a director of York Guns, in Dunnington, must stay in America on bail until the hearing can take place in up to a year’s time.

But now it has been reported he will be allowed to go home awaiting trial, provided he can post $175,000 bail.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, a sister paper of The Press, said yesterday that Hyde had indicated he could post $175,000 but not the $250,000 initially set by a federal judge as bail.

He is also reported to have claimed that British banks have been loath to lend him money because of publicity surrounding his pending criminal case, while US District Judge Charles Siragusa had scheduled a hearing in which he wanted assurances from Hyde's attorney that a business account was frozen to Hyde.

He is reported to have said that with that proof in hand, he would set the bail at $175,000, and the sentence Hyde faced could be less than a year, while the case might not come to trial for another year.

Hyde has denied selling Chinese-made AK47 rifle magazines in America, in contravention of US rules banning the importation of Chinese-made weapons or accessories. He is alleged to have altered the magazines so they appeared to be Bulgarian manufactured, which would be legal for importation.

A co-defendant, German-born Karl Kleber, who is registered with Companies House as a director of two York-based companies, Frederic James Ltd and Jago Ltd, both of St Saviourgate, pleaded guilty recently to smuggling and agreed to cooperate with authorities.

Hyde was arrested in Las Vegas in January while attending the SHOT Show, a massive sales event for firearms distributors, hunters and gun enthusiasts.

York Guns has repeatedly stressed that no allegations had been directed towards the company, which was continuing to operate normally, and it said in a statement last week that Hyde had been suspended from his role pending an investigation, saying it took its licensing obligations extremely seriously and was in close contact with police.