THREE men have been jailed for more than 20 years for their role in “sophisticated” operations to supply cocaine and produce cannabis.

When properties were searched, a £10k ‘Twister, a piece of kit commonly used in cannabis production, was seized - the first time such a machine had been seized in the Bradford area.

Scott Newlove, Darren Tidswell, Paul Naven, Faye Webb and Richard Emmett appeared at Bradford Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced.

The offending came to light back in October 2016, when police stopped a Volkswagen Caddy belonging to Tidswell on Burnham Avenue, Bradford.

He was in the vehicle along with Naven and Bradford Crown Court heard the rear of the vehicle contained evidence it was being used to transport cannabis.

Then between November 22 that year and January 7, 2017, police raided four properties - three on Low Newall Field, close to Staithgate Avenue, where Newlove, Tidswell, Webb and another man yet to be sentenced lived, and another on Cleckheaton Road, Oakenshaw, where Naven lived.

Substantial cannabis farms were found in the first three houses. A total of 8.8kg of cropped cannabis and 124 plants with a potential yield of 10.54kg were seized, with a total estimated value of £169,000.

More than £20,000 worth of cocaine was also found in one of the Low Newall Field properties and more than £8,000 worth at Cleckheaton Road.

In the house where Newlove was living, police found a sophisticated set-up for growing cannabis, including lamps, fans, extractors and electrical system, with the electricity supply being bypassed.

On top of this, Tidswell’s DNA and fingerprint were also recovered from a Pepsi can and plug socket, while a set of keys for one of the other Low Newall Field properties were also found.

That property, belonging to Emmett, was also searched at the same time. He was not there at the time, but Tidswell was arrested from a sofa in the living room wearing only his underwear.

Two bedrooms on the second floor were being used to produce cannabis and the ‘Twister’ - which crops buds from stalks - was found, along with packages of cocaine behind a ‘kickboard’ under kitchen units.

The next month, the third Low Newall Fields property, where Webb was living with her partner, was searched and cannabis grows were found in the two attic rooms of the property.

The Cleckheaton Road property was searched in January 2017, where cocaine and bulking agents were found.

When interviewed, Newlove made no comment. While on bail, police were then called to a domestic incident to his address at Westgate Hill Street and found another 88 plants. He said he had been forced to undertake the operation in order to repay debts caused by the previous loss of drugs.

Tidswell also made no comment when interviewed, while Naven said he had debts and had an addiction, admitting his role as bagging up drugs in his flat.

The court heard Webb had been living with her boyfriend and knew the plants were there, but had no involvement, while Emmett accepted that he rented the Low Newall Field property where Tidswell, who is currently serving a sentence for a burglary committed in December 2016, was found.

He said that he moved-in in March 2016, but had allowed someone to use the property for the purpose of growing cannabis, but denied any knowledge of the cocaine in the house and said he had not been there since August 2016.

In mitigation, the court heard Naven had been a chronic drug user for 15 years, but has now been drug free for 10 months, and was in a position where he had accrued debts due to his drug use and had been in a vulnerable position.

Emmett had been in the fire service for nearly 30 years but had taken his enforced retirement badly, sinking to a place of depression, drugs and injury which led him to mix in circles he perhaps would not have done.

The court heard he had turned a “blind eye”, but had no idea of the quantities of drugs involved and it came as a “great shock” when he was interviewed.

Webb was said to have had a “small part” and that she had been naive and had “great remorse” over what happened.

“This is something that will not be repeated,” Jayne Beckett told the court.

Tidswell was said to be “determined to do right in the future”, while the court heard Newlove has ADHD, which impacts all areas of his life, and is currently being assessed for Asperger’s.

In sentencing, Judge David Hatton said: “Three properties were used in sophisticated operations to produce very significant quantities of cannabis.

“Cocaine was stored for distribution in one of these properties and also another at Cleckheaton Road.”

He said their roles and involvement differed.

Newlove, 35, of Knowles Lane, Holme Wood, was handed a total jail sentence of 12 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to produce cannabis, conspiracy to supply cocaine and the production of cocaine while on bail.

The judge said Newlove had played a “leading role” and was directing and organising operations to a “significant extent”.

Tidswell, 42, of Jane Street, Denholme, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years and was said to have a played a significant role. He also pleaded guilty to the two conspiracy charges.

Naven, 45, of Howden Close, Tong, pleaded guilty to both charges and was jailed for three years and nine months.

Webb, 27, of Delph Grove, Clayton, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to produce cannabis. Judge Hatton said that she had played a “much more limited role” than the others. She was handed a 22-month sentence, suspended for two years. She will also have to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Emmett, 55, of Norman Avenue, Eccleshill, was given a community order after pleading guilty to permitting premises to be used for the production of cannabis and will have to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and take part in ten days of rehabilitation requirement activity.

Judge Hatton said while he knew the premises were being used to grow cannabis, he did not know the extent of the offending taking place, was not present during the operations and it had come at a particularly “low point” in his life.