Dealers jailed following drugs turf war shooting

Shotguns were deployed by rival pushers involved in a “turf war” over the hard drugs trade in Burnley back in March, according to police.

Six men armed with machetes descended on a house in Stroyan Street in the town, which led to the area being swamped by police marksmen shortly afterwards.

Detectives say the incident was part of a battle between heroin and cocaine dealers from Leigh, who were using ‘Tony’ and ‘TJ’ calling cards, and rival gangsters.

This intelligence had been confirmed by the earlier arrest of two Leigh dealers, Aaron MacFadden and Lisa Rigby, the previous month, say investigating officers, carrying drugs valued at £325 and £925 in cash.

MacFadden, 25, of Chatham Street and Rigby, 37, of Cunliffe Street, were jailed for 64 months and five years respectively at Preston Crown Court last week.

Another arrest saw heroin and crack cocaine, with a street value of £1,250 seized. Further checks at MacFadden’s house saw cocaine valued at £400 recovered.

And a third swoop, at the home of fellow dealers Darren Charnock and Robyn Anderton, in Palace Grove, saw £5,110 worth of heroin, 75 grams of cannabis and four packages of crack cocaine recovered.

Detectives from Lancashire teamed up with their counterparts from Greater Manchester to make a series of arrests.

The home of Jon Woods, in Richmond Drive, was raided and large quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine were said to have been found as well a kilo of mixing agent, used to adulterate drugs sales.

Anderton, 23, and Charnock, 28, and Callum Riley, 18, of Kensington Drive, were jailed for five years and seven months, seven years and two months and seven years respectively, each for conspiracy to supply crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

Alex Hall, 29, of Carswell Close, Tyldesley, Luke Briggs, 18, of Hendon Street, Kieron Siddley, of Warrington Road, Hayden Ashcroft, 29, of Coronation Drive, Charlie Boyle, 19, of Carisbrook Road, and Callum Riley, 18, of Kensington Drive were jailed for between three and seven years, all for conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

Woods, 31, was given an eight-month suspended sentence for allowing a home to be used for drug dealing. Two men from Warrington and Bolton were also jailed and a 17-year-old youth was given a 12-month rehabilitation order for supplying cannabis.

Det Sgt Andrew Osbaldeston said the gang had caused “significant problems”.