A DRUGS ring set out to flood last summer's football World Cup with super-strong cannabis grown at a warehouse in Blackburn.

Preston Crown Court heard that during an eight-month undercover investigation, police discovered a massive drug-selling operation.

Undercover officers were sold large quantities of cocaine and amphetamines in public places, like the McDonald's car park, Hyndburn Road, Accrington, and the Last Orders pub, Union Road, Oswaldtwistle.

They also found a factory in Newton Street, Blackburn, growing £5,000 of skunk cannabis.

Brian Fitzharris, 36, of Craven Street, Accrington, and Kevin Barski, 36, of George Street, Accrington, both have admitted a range of drugs offences. Fitzharris has pleaded guilty to seven counts of supplying cocaine, one of supplying amphetamines and conspiracy to cultivate cannabis.

Barski has pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying amphetamines, two of supplying cocaine, two of supplying cannabis and one count of producing cannabis.

Three other men, Michael Hartley, 59, of Snowden Avenue, Blackburn; Shaun Shorrock, 39, of Sulby Road, Blackburn and Kenneth Burrows, 62, of Alexander Close, Clayton-le-Moors, have also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cultivate cannabis.

The court was told that Operation Hornbeam began in August, 2005, when undercover officers began going to the Last Orders pub, where they met Fitzharris and Barski and began inquiring about the sale of drugs.

Alexandra Simmonds, prosecuting, said that over a period of months Fitzharris began to sell amphetamine to three officers. Miss Simmonds said that Fitzharris told officers that he and his associates planned to grow super-strength skunk cannabis to sell at the World Cup in Germany.

(Proceeding)