TWO men accused of being involved in the supply of cocaine are to stand trial later this year.

Bradley Mark Sinclair and Christopher Paul Chambers are alleged to have taken part in the covert handover of a cocaine consignment in a County Durham village in May 2020.

Appearing at a plea hearing at Durham Crown Court today (Tuesday March 15) the pair both denied a separate charge of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug of class A.

In the case of 43-year-old Mr Sinclair, it is limited to the supply of cocaine with his co-accused in Tantobie, near Stanley, County Durham, on May 20, 2020.

But the charge facing Mr Chambers covers a wider period, from April 23 to June 2, 2020.

Read more: Man with 500g of cocaine in car admits being a ‘courier’

The pair were arrested as part of what police code-named Operation Neptune, involving the monitoring of CCTV footage and the use of cell site analysis of phone and text exchanges.

Counsel for the pair, Tony Cornberg, said both deny involvement in the supply of cocaine.

A date was agreed for the pair to stand trial, expected to last up to five days, starting at the court, on Monday August 15.

Mr Sinclair, a chartered surveyor, of Hutton Row, South Shields, and Mr Chambers, a self-employed kitchen work-top fitter, of Greenfields Avenue, Warrington, in Cheshire, were granted intervening bail.

Both must submit their signed defence accounts to the allegation to the court by May 24.

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