Blighting lives: Daniel Coady (left) and David Rodger (right) have both been jailed for their part in the New Longton drugs gang

A group of men who were part of one of Lancashire’s biggest drugs gangs have been put behind bars.

Another twelve men have been sentenced to time in prison after police smashed their Class A drugs ring which was operating out of a quiet village just outside Preston.

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Daniel Coady, from Penwortham, was the latest dealer to be sentenced – given two years at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty of conspiracy to supply class B and class C drugs.

Earlier this month a man already serving time in Preston Prison was jailed for eight years for his part in trying to supply Class A drugs in Lancashire.

David Rodger, 35, is already serving time in prison for his part in attacking a man at his home in New Longton.

Police seized cocaine with a street value of £200,000 when they raided a home on Chapel Lane, New Longton.

They also found a kilogram of amphetamine worth £3,000 and 8,700 benzylpiperazine tablets which would fetch around £24,000.

The sentences are the culmination of Operation TITAN which saw police across the North West working together to stop the drugs gang blighting the lives of the communities they lived in.

Det Insp Andy Black from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit said: “This group had an adverse affect on the communities of Lancashire and Cumbria through their supply of drugs.

“We have worked with the communities to tackle this, together with the local police in New Longton, Workington and Knowsley, over a 12 month period to effectively disrupt and dismantle this organised group of criminals. I believe that this has left the communities they operated in safer places to live.

“We are committed to tackling organised crime gangs and cracking down on illegal drugs supply and we will do all we can to put those involved behind bars. No criminal is untouchable – with the right information we will take robust action.

“We will continue to listen to the concerns of local residents and act upon them. Information from the public is vital for us to take action against suspected criminals and I would urge residents to work with us by telling us about any suspicious activity.”

Joanne Cunliffe, Crown Advocate from CPS Complex Case Unit, added: “These criminals were involved in the supply of large amounts of drugs across the North West and, by putting them behind bars, the CPS and police have removed a significant source of drugs in the region.

“We worked closely with officers from the regional organised crime unit in bringing these men to justice. The weight and detail of the evidence persuaded all of them to plead guilty before a trial. In fact a number of defendants pleaded guilty at an early stage which is a testament to the strength of the case that we were able to build against them.

“The message is clear – prosecutors and police in the North West are determined to pursue those supplying drugs to our local communities and to prosecute them through the courts.”

Anyone with information about drugs in their community can contact their local police or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.