THE nephew of a Westhoughton man ordered a "violent professional criminal" to raid his uncle’s house after a dispute over an unpaid loan, a court heard.

Brian and Enid Butler, both aged in their 60s, were at their home in Dicconson Lane, Westhoughton, when three men burst in and tied them up, before stealing items from the house.

Raymond Dallimore, the nephew of Mr Butler, is accused of organising the raid, which happened at about 10.30pm on March 28 last year.

Wayne Duckworth, along with Shaun Gastall, is accused of contacting Craig Lister, the "violent" criminal, to arrange the job.

Gastall and Duckworth are said to have contacted Lister, who lives in Liverpool, and drove to his house to pick him and two of his associates up before driving back to Westhoughton to complete the job.

Dallimore and Duckworth are currently on trial at Bolton Crown Court.

Michael Goldwater, prosecuting, said: "Three men burst into their house, threatening their weapons, tied them up and robbed them of some of their belongings."

The three then fled from the scene in a van owned by Mr Butler, which was later found abandoned near Bolton after being set on fire.

Mr Goldwater said the roots of the incident are in 2010, when Mr Butler loaned his nephew, Dallimore, £42,000.

He said: "The money was not repaid and, because it was a family matter, Brian Butler was reluctant to do anything about it."

In October 2013, however, Mr Butler instructed his solicitor to draft a letter to Dallimore asking for the repayment of the loan.

Hannah Bradley, of Fieldings Porter solicitors, drafted a "standard" solicitors' letter to Dallimore on March 18, and drafted a second latter on March 27 after no reply had been received.

On the morning of the alleged burglary, Dallimore called Ms Bradley in a "vile mood", Mr Goldwater said.

He added that the tone of the call was "somewhat hostile".

He said that during the call, Dallimore threatened to bring up Mr Butler's past and "give him an appetite for porridge".

Mr Goldwater said that following this call, Dallimore called Gastall to arrange the burglary later that night.

Dallimore, aged 59, of Church Street, Westhoughton, and Duckworth, aged 33, of Park Road, Westhoughton, both deny conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

Gastall, aged 35, of Maple Crescent, Leigh, and Lister, aged 33, of Hale Road, Liverpool, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary at an earlier hearing.

The trial continues.