FIVE people have been jailed for a total of nearly 40 years for supplying tens of thousands of pounds of cocaine in Leigh.

Philip Turner, aged 31, of Hulme Road, Leigh, Michael Hayes, aged 35, of Eldon Street, Leigh, Gemma Bond, aged 30, of Clifton Street, Leigh, and Scott Wilde, aged 25, of Wood Lane, Partington, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply class A drugs at an earlier hearing.

Lee Shaw, aged 36, of Platt Street, Leigh, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine.

Today they were all jailed at Liverpool Crown Court.

Turner was jailed for ten years, Hayes for 11 years, Bond for seven years, Wilde for four years and Shaw for seven years.

Police said their investigation into the supply of class A drugs in Leigh began at the start of May 2014.

They said that on a number of occasions in May, Turner was seen meeting up with Hayes, either at car parks or at Hayes’ home.

Police also saw text messages between Bond, Hayes and Turner relating to dropping drugs off and asking how much it would cost.

On July 25 last year, police raided Shaw’s home in Platt Street after Turner was seen to go into the house carrying a package.

Shaw was then spotted placing a package in a dustbin. Police seized it and found cocaine with a street value of nearly £29,000.

More searches uncovered a drug dealing operation in a bedroom, where equipment had been set up to cut and weigh the drugs as well as package it.

After Turner’s arrest, Michael Hayes took his place, and was in continuous contact with Gemma Bond and Scott Wilde.

In September, Hayes and Bond drove to Warburton and met another car associated with Scott Wilde in a car park.

A short time later, Bond’s car was stopped and searched, and inside police found cocaine with a street value of £9,000.

Police also searched her home in Clifton Street where another 10 bags of cocaine were found.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Con David Clark said: “All five defendants were in an organised crime group with Turner clearly the main man who headed up the drugs gang.

"Hayes was his right hand man and following Turner’s arrest, he took it upon himself to keep the operation going alongside Bond and Wilde.

“They were responsible for supplying thousands of pounds worth of drugs on the streets of Leigh, but thanks to this operation, we have put a stop to that."