A MAN from Farnworth has been charged as part of a county lines operation involving firearms and drug trafficking across the UK.

Wayne Cohen, 38 of Barton Road, is one of 14 who face charges after police raided addresses across the country on Thursday.

Warrants were executed at properties in Bolton, Merseyside, Morecambe and Plymouth as part of the ongoing investigation.

Seven people from Morecambe, five from Merseyside and a man from Plymouth have been charged.

The work follows the use of warrants in Merseyside and Eastbourne in January and April to November last year, during which firearms, cash and Class A drugs were recovered from addresses in Kirkby, Liverpool and Morecambe.

Officers have seized a significant amount of Class A and B drugs, as well as firearms, ammunition, and component parts of firearms during the crackdown.

All 14 people have been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply heroin. 

Christopher Scully, 32, of Prestbury Road, Liverpool, has been additionally charged with conspiracy to possess a section 1 firearm without certificate, conspiracy to possess ammunition without a firearms certificate and conspiracy to possess expanding ammunition. 

As well as Cohen and Scully, the following people have been charged:

Merseyside

Phillip Ryder, 39, of Quernmore Road, Liverpool

Ricky Dewsbury, 41, of Prestbury Road, Liverpool

Anya Buckley, 19, of Newman Street, Liverpool

Nicholas Begg, 21, of Newman Street, Liverpool

Morecambe

Stephen Watson, 48, of Balmoral Road

Emma Rimmer, 44, of Balmoral Road

Gareth Rees, 44, of HMP Liverpool

Katrina Knight, 49, of HMP Styal

Samantha Nield, 33, of Alexandra Road

Scott McKenzie, 38, of Bartholomew Road

Dean Tarry, 53, of Westminister Road

Plymouth

Colin Brown, 41, of Riverview, Plymouth

Anyone with information about the storage of weapons or use of drugs can contact police on 101.

Alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.