Trio jailed for trafficking heroin and crack cocaine into Leyland
Drugs gang sentenced at Preston Crown Court
Last updated 20th Nov 2025
Three men have been jailed for their roles in a drugs gang that trafficked heroin and crack cocaine from Liverpool to Leyland and the South Ribble area.
The gang transported the drugs into Lancashire between late March and mid-May 2022, as uncovered by Lancashire Police’s South Division Targeted Crime Unit.
John Bradley, 27, was identified as the gang's principal member, operating from his home in Liverpool. He managed orders, coordinated collections, and arranged debt payments.
Andrew Blake, 62, acted as a courier, making 51 trips from Liverpool to deliver drugs. Blake often met Simon Gorner, 63, at locations in Croston and Leyland, where Gorner collected the drugs to distribute at street level.
Blake and Gorner were arrested on 18th May 2022 at a property on Station Road, Croston. Police found £1,950 in an envelope and a bag containing 143 wraps of heroin and 48 rocks of crack cocaine on the premises.
Bradley was arrested the same morning at his Liverpool home, where £19,225 in cash was discovered during a search.
The trio appeared at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday, 18th November, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and acquire/use/possess criminal property. Bradley was sentenced to seven years in prison. Blake received six years and nine months, while Gorner was handed four years and 11 months behind bars.
Lancashire Police confirmed their commitment to tackling serious and organised crime through Operation Warrior, an initiative supported by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw.
The operation targets gangs and individuals involved in criminal activities such as large-scale drug trafficking, violence, exploitation, and fraud, addressing issues that can harm communities.