A RUNCORN man has appeared in a London court alongside a former topless model, both accused of conspiracy to smuggle drugs into England.

John Warburton, 52, of Grangeway, was charged with conspiring to import cannabis into Britain following a raid by Customs officers on a warehouse in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, on April 23.

Cocaine weighing 30 tonnes and 2.5 tonnes of cannabis were seized.

Warburton appeared at Belmarsh magistrates' court in South London with 18 other alleged members of a drug ring that tried to get £10 million-worth of various illegal substances into the country.

Appearing with Warburton was former Page Three girl Tracey Kirby, who is charged with trafficking cocaine and cannabis.

Warburton was released on bail until committal proceedings can take place at Belmarsh on November 2.

He was bailed on a surety of £10,000, with a further security of £10,000.

Warburton was also ordered to live at his Runcorn address and to report to Runcorn police daily.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.