THE wife of the alleged head of a drugs gang, known as The Firm, paid more than £6,000 in cash for a holiday to Spain, a court heard.

The jury in the trial of Matthew Glover and Anthony Lockwood was told that Glover's wife Cathy, booked the Christmas holiday despite neither she nor her husband having any known employment.

The holiday was just one example of the lavish lifestyle led by Glover on the profits made from dealing drugs, it is alleged. Glover, 39, of Foxstones Lane, Cliviger, and Lockwood, 41, of Stock Lane, Gisburn, deny three charges of conspiracy to supply ecstasy, amphetamine sulphate and cannabis resin between September 1, 1999 and February 6, 2001.

Mr Charles Chruscz, prosecuting, told Preston Crown Court that Cathy Glover phoned a travel agents in Morecambe on November 1, 2000 to ask about a holiday in the Las Palmeras Hotel, Playa de las Americas, Tenerife, over Christmas and New Year for her, her husband and several friends.

She was quoted a deposit of £5,157, which was paid the next day in cash by a friend. The outstanding balance of £1,000 was also paid in cash three days later by the same man.

Earlier, the court was shown a large industrial mixer seized by police from a house in Waterbarn Street, Burnley, which was allegedly used to mix large amounts of drugs such as amphetamine.

The jury also saw a heat-sealing machine found at the house used to seal plastic bags containing the drugs.

Glover and Lockwood were both arrested on February 6, 2001, following a national crime squad operation codenamed Norfolk, which included covert surveillance such as bugging of cars and houses, as well as mobile phones.

(Proceeding)