THREE men have appeared in court accused of being part of a drug-dealing operation in the North-East.

Wayne Robson, 40, John Flynn, 44, and 63-year-old Peter Samuel Davies have been in custody since their arrest, on suspicion of involvement in the supply of Class A and B drugs, in County Durham, on Friday, September 21.

It follows a series of raids on premises in Ludworth, Wingate and at a caravan park at Crimdon, while a car was stopped and searched in the Coxhoe area on the same day.

Police recovered large amounts of cocaine and cannabis, with an estimated value up to £1m in street prices, mostly from a house in Ludworth, near Durham City.

A total of £50,000 in cash was recovered from a concealed compartment in the car, which Mr Flynn was driving when pulled over by police, in Coxhoe.

The men are charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine, and cannabis.

Following an appearance before North Durham magistrates at Peterlee, last week, the case was sent straight to Durham Crown Court, where they appeared at a preliminary hearing yesterday.

Mr Davies is alleged to have been a “warehouseman”

for the operation, as the court was told that many of the drugs were recovered from a house where he was living, while Mr Flynn, from Lancashire, was said to have been the “custodian” of the money.

John Gillette, prosecuting, told the court that other arrests have been made, with several people on bail pending further inquiries.

Charges were not put to the three men in court yesterday.

Bail applications on behalf of Mr Flynn and Mr Davies, made by their barrister, Tony Davis, were refused by Judge Christopher Prince.

Mr Robson, of Moor Crescent, and Mr Davies, of Barnard Avenue, both Ludworth, and Mr Flynn, of Sidney Avenue, Hesketh Bank, Preston, were all remanded in custody until a plea hearing, on Friday, December 14.