FORMER page three model Tracey Kirby and 14 others, including a Runcorn man, charged in connection with a £10 million drugs ring appeared in court this week.

They were further remanded until March 26 at Woolwich Crown Court.

The arrests followed a customs raid on a warehouse in Hatfield, Hertfordshire on Saturday, April 23.

Cocaine weighing 30 kilos and 2.5 tonnes of cannabis are said to have been smuggled into Britain.

All the defendants have pleaded not guilty adn there will be further directions at the next hearing before a trial date is set.

TV presenter Kirby, 32, of Herts, is accused of three offences: conspiring to import cocaine, conspiring to import cannabis and conspiring to handle money from drug trafficking and was remanded in custody.

Four other defendants were granted bail.

These include John Warburton, 52, of Grangeway, Runcorn; Joseph Smith, 50, of Enfield; Peter Jones, 54 of Connahs Quay and Jill Baker, 31, of Harrow.

Warburton is charged with conspiring to handle cannabis.

Jones is charged ony with conspiring to import cannabis.

Smith and Jill Baker are charged with conspiring to handle cocaine, cannabis and money from drug trafficking.

The following defendants were remanded in custody:Syvia Allpress, 52, of Barnet; Houssam Ali, 31, of West Brompton; Deborah Symeou, 40, of Whetstone; Mile Laurence Maitre, 37, of Paris; Andre Caddoux, 48, of no fixed abode; Mark Hooper, 40, of Beds; Kenneth Hooper, 56, of Leighton Buzzard; Karen Baker, 33, of no fixed abode; Susan Richards, 33, no address given and Christian Rey, 51 of France.

Allpress, Ali, Symeou, Caddoux, Mark Hooper and Karen Baker are each charged with conspiring to import cocaine, conspiring to import cannabis and conspiring to handle money from drug trafficking.

Maitre is only charged with conspiring to import cocaine. Rey is only charged with conspiring to import cannabis. Kenneth Hooper is charged with conspiring to import cocaine and cannabis and Richards is accused of conspiring to import cannabis and handling money from drugs.

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