Drugs gang that flooded Lancashire with heroin jailed for more than 60 years over

The group of 11 men, two women and a boy, 17, previously pleaded guilty to drugs offences at earlier hearings at Preston Crown Court.

The court heard how the drugs were brought daily from Greater Manchester to Burnley.

A police investigation was launched after a gun was fired in Burnley back in March. It was traced back to a criminal network based in Leigh who were involved in a turf war with a local gang.

At the court hearing on Thursday, a judge handed out sentences adding up to more than 60 years.

Michael Siddeley, 24, of Littleton Close, Warrington was given nine years and four months imprisonment.

Darren Charnock, 28 of Palace Grove Leigh was sentenced to seven years and two months.

Callum Riley, 18, of Kensington Drive, Leigh was handed seven years.

Jamie Crompton, 21, of Ainsworth Lane, Bolton was jailed for seven years.

Robyn Anderton, 23, of Palace Grove Leigh was sentenced to five years, seven months.

Charlie Boyle, 19, of Carisbrooke Road, Leigh was given five years, seven months.

Kieran Siddeley, 19, of Warrington Road, Leigh was jailed for five years, four months.

Aaron MacFadden, 25, of Chatham Street, Leigh was sentenced to five years, four months.

Lisa Rigby, 37, of Cunliffe Street, Leigh was given five years.

Alex Hall, 29, of Carswell Close, Leigh was jailed for four years.

Hayden Ashcroft, 21, of Corronation Drive, Leigh was sentenced to four years.

Luke Briggs, 18, of Hendon Street, Leigh was given three years.

A 17-year-old boy from Leigh was handed a 12 month Youth Referral Order.

Jon Woods, 31, of Richmond Drive, Leigh was given an eight month sentence suspended for 18 months..

The group had been dealing heroin, cocaine and cannabis under the name ‘TJ’ or ‘Tony’ which had been corroborated by during the initial arrest of MacFadden and Rigby.

They were found in possession of heroin, and crack cocaine with a street value of £300 and £925 cash. ‘Tony’ calling cards – business cards containing their contact details for drug customers - and mobile phones were also recovered.

On March 6, officers in Burnley arrested Micheal Siddeley, MacFadden and Riley after stopping and searching a Peugeot Boxer van, hired by Charnock, on Moorland Road. They found three individual deals of heroin, 39 individual deals of crack cocaine, 1.74g of cocaine - with a total street value of £1,250.

A number of mobile phones were also found hidden inside the van and Riley was in possession of £1,000 in cash.

A subsequent search at MacFadden’s home address on Chatham Street, Leigh, on the same day revealed a haul of 20 bags of cocaine, valued at £400, which were destined to be sold on, police said.

Searches at Darren Charnock’s address, which he shared with Robyn Anderton on Palace Grove, Leigh, revealed £5,110 worth of heroin, 75g of cannabis with a street value of £300, four packages of crack cocaine worth around £80 along with weighing scales containing traces of cocaine and cannabis. At that point, Lancashire officers teamed up with their counterparts at Greater Manchester Police under the name ‘Operation Mackay’ to dismantle the gang and their supply.

Further arrests and seizures took place on March 13 when officers visited an address on Richmond Drive, Leigh, where Jon Woods lived.

Large quantities of drugs were found along with just under a kilogram of a mixing agent. A coffee table which was being used to prepare wraps of heroin to be sold was also seen. This discovery led to the arrest of the remaining seven offenders.

Det Sgt Andrew Osbaldeston from the East Division Targeted Crime Unit said: “I am pleased with the result which shows that those who think they can travel into Lancashire to deal drugs will be caught and brought before the courts.

“I am satisfied that these people, who caused significant problems in Burnley dealing drugs over a five month period between October 2016 and March 2017, have now been removed from our streets and I ask the public for their continued support in reporting information so that we can keep our neighbourhoods safe and try to prevent organised crime gangs from operating.

“Lastly, my personal thanks goes to our colleagues Greater Manchester Police who we worked closely with during the investigation.”