Warrington cocaine gang 'instilled fear' in community

Anthony Cullen, 31 and Chris Houghton, 40 were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court

A drugs gang which used guns and an AK-47 assault rifle to "instil fear in the local community" has been jailed.

The Warrington-based cocaine ring - thought to be Cheshire's biggest - raked in £290,000 a month in profit.

The weaponry the gang used was like "something out of a film" and could have caused "devastation", police said.

Anthony Cullen, 31, and Chris Houghton, 40, were sentenced to 27 and 20 years respectively following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Eighteen other men received sentences of up to 13 years and eight months.

The gang members, described by Cheshire Police as among the most notorious and influential the force had ever seen, were sentenced for various offences including conspiracy to supply drugs and sell firearms.

Weapons including an AK-47 assault rifle, revolvers, silencers and more than 100 rounds of ammunition were found hidden in a house in Rylands Drive, Orford.

Guns and ammunition seized in Warrington "wouldn't have been out of place on a movie", police said

The gang is believed to have supplied 50kg (110lbs) of cocaine across the wider region and Wales.

The convictions follow an 18-month investigation, which saw £205,000 in cash confiscated.

"We found firearms with silencers attached to them and a pump-action shotgun that wouldn't have been out of place on a movie," sad Det Ch Insp Mike Evans, who led the 2017 investigation.

"You don't expect to find an AK-series assault rifle in Warrington with ammunition. That's unheard of.

"You can only think about the absolute devastation that would have been caused had it been used on the streets."

The gang is believed to have distributed about 50 kg of cocaine across the North West and Wales

He said the gang "thought they were untouchable" and regularly changed phone numbers to try to evade police.

Ringleader Cullen, of Colemere Close, Warrington, changed his phone number 16 times during the investigation.

Geoffrey Fryar, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "There was evidence that Cullen paid his 'employees' wages.

"Trusted members of the gang were provided with cars and accommodation. The bill for wages and rent on places to store drugs ran to £50,000 per month."

Det Ch Insp Evans added: "Their activity centred on wealth, intimidation and instilling fear into the local community.

"The drugs and firearms taken off our streets have made our communities safer and this can only continue if we make disrupting organised crime everybody's business."