Two men from East Lancashire have had their sentence hearings over a heroin and cocaine conspiracy pushed back to October.

Hasnain Ashraf, 34, and Paul Moxham, 50, were due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Friday (August 30).

Ashraf, of Frederick Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin, while Moxham, of Whalley Road, Altham West, did so before the scheduled trial was due to start in April.

Joseph Oakes, 23, of Accrington, also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy but was already due to be sentenced on October 7 due to a lack of a pre-sentence report.

The delay came about after Aston Johnson, 20, of Brear Vale, Oswaldtwistle, opted to vacate his earlier guilty pleas to the same conspiracy.

He will now face a hearing in front of Recorder Michelle Brown at Preston Crown Court on September 26 where he can enter his new pleas.

Granting him conditional bail, Judge Andrew Jeffries warned him that any breach of the bail conditions, including not turning up when required by his solicitors, would result in a warrant being issued for his arrest.

The Judge also said if Johnson does not turn up to the hearing in front of Recorder Brown, he will take this as him abandoning his application to vacate his pleas.

Ashraf was remanded back into custody along with Lewis Lord, 23, of South Square, Blackpool, and Lloyd Spencer, 40, of Hawkshead Road, Manchester.

Lord pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin, while Spencer pleaded guilty to participating in criminal activities with an organised crime group.

Moxham was granted conditional bail as before.

Sameer Amin, 31, of Hovey Close, Manchester, who pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and possession with intent to supply class A drugs, was also granted conditional bail.

Sentencing for all six defendants bar Johnson will now take place on October 7 at Preston Crown Court.