A SECOND Burnley solicitor has been charged as part of a police probe into alleged money laundering for an East Lancashire drugs gang called The Firm.

John Greenwood, 47, of Manchester Road, Barnoldswick, is a partner at GHT in Nicholas Street. He was charged with conspiracy to money launder last night after answering his bail at Burnley police station and will appear in Preston Magistrates court next Thursday.

Basil Dearing, 60, a senior partner at SFN, in Red Lion Street, Burnley, has already been charged with money laundering and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and appeared at Preston Crown Court with nine other defendants last month.

The lawyer, of Lower Chapel Lane, Grindleton near Clitheroe, was a public relations officer for Burnley and PendleLaw Society in the 1990s and is a former director of Burnley FC.

Dearing was arrested last June along with 11 other suspects when legal practices in Blackburn, Earby and Clitheroe were raided by police.

Homes in Barnoldswick, Clitheroe, Padiham and Colne were also searched.

Solicitor John Broughton, 53, of Foulridge, who runs a practice in Keighley, and legal representative Noel Tully, 36, of Liverpool, are charged with a single count of money laundering and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Also in court were Cathy Glover, 39, of Wycoller Avenue, Burnley, the wife of Matthew Glover, the mastermind behind The Firm; Rosalind Glover, 44, of Keighley; Steven Glover, 45, of Leamington Avenue, Burnley, and Thelma Johnstone, 40, of the same address. They are all charged with money laundering.

John England, 56, of Seabrook Drive, Cleveland; Melvin Radford, 44, of no fixed abode, and Anthony Radford, 45, of Heather View, Skipton, also appeared charged with money laundering and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

And Burnley car dealer, Christopher Spokes, 36, of Brennand Street, Burnley, who is charged with money laundering offences, also appeared.

None of the defendants entered pleas and no charges were put to them by the prosecution.

The next hearing, which will decide a venue for a future trial, will be at Preston Crown Court on Friday, July 2.

All defendants were remanded on unconditional bail, except Christopher Spokes who is on conditional bail.