A HOUSE in Darlington found to be full of weapons was occupied by two men with a history of stashing armoury.

Raymond Fothergill, 66, and John Lambert, 54, appeared at Teesside Crown Court last Friday where they admitted 11 charges of manufacturing and possessing weapons, ammunition and explosives at 3 Kexwith Moor Close, Firthmoor estate.

Thirty years ago they faced similar charges at Birmingham Crown Court where Fothergill received a three-year probation order and Lambert was jailed for 12 months.

The case at Teesside Crown Court was adjourned until March 8 for pre-sentence reports.

Police raided the pair's Firthmoor home on September 24 after evacuating residents in neighbouring streets to ensure their safety.

The men had lived there quietly for a couple of years and are believed not to have any military background or links to criminal or subversive organisations.

Neighbours had no inkling of what was going on in the semi-detached house, and it is still unknown why the pair were making weapons.

In 1969, Lambert was jailed for 15 months by Durham Assizes for unlawful wounding after he shot somebody with a .22 pistol - a charge of attempted murder had been withdrawn.

After the hearing, Det Sgt Alec Francis, who led the Darlington operation, said that in 30 years he had never come across anything like the scene officers found in the house.

There were nine Sten submachine guns, at least two rifles and a single shot pistol, plus explosive chemicals. Fulminate of mercury was discovered in an unstable state, and dinitro benzine - the second phase of the three-stage process for making the explosive TNT - was also found.

Almost every room in the home had been used to store weapon manufacturing parts and equipment, many bought through mail order firms across Britain.

Although a search of a council-owned lock-up used by Fothergill and Lambert failed to recover any other equipment, it is understood officers found makeshift cardboard coffins containing dead kittens.

Det Sgt Francis, a former Special Branch bodyguard for the Queen, said: "We were overwhelmed with what we had found inside an average-sized family dwelling."

The raid followed information received from an investigation by Derbyshire police. The operation, codenamed Braille, involved arms specialists from across the country and about 30 officers from Darlington.

Both men pleaded guilty to charges of possessing two Enfield rifles and ammunition - a selection of .22 and 9mm cartridges - without firearms certificates, as well as possessing CS gas spray.

Lambert admitted two counts of making an explosive substance, while Fothergill pleaded guilty to two counts of having explosive substances.

Lambert also pleaded guilty to charges of manufacturing two Sten guns and one single shot pistol. Fothergill admitted possessing these weapons.

Det Sgt Francis said there was no evidence or information to suggest there were links to any criminal or other subversive organisation.

Pleas of not guilty were tendered by both men on charges of conspiracy to make explosive substances, manufacture a variety of "limited weapons" and manufacture ammunition. These were accepted by prosecutor Shaun Dodds.