A BURNLEY man was today starting a seven year prison sentence for supplying counterfeit currency and drugs to an undercover police officer during Operation Stillwater.

Shaun Wynn, 45, of Hurstwood Lane, Hurstwood, was arrested in Leyland on March 9, along with his friend Ian Dickinson, of Blackpool, when 15 kilos of cannabis resin were recovered by police from a hotel room. Dickinson was sentenced to four years in prison.

Preston Crown Court heard that police also seized a ledger containing details of potential customers, and from a farm which Wynn was using to store goods, police recovered 11,860 counterfeit 2000 Spanish peseta notes.

Both men had regular meetings with two undercover officers during the three months leading up to their arrest, discussing plans for the ongoing supply of cannabis, counterfeit Spanish notes, as well as amphetamine tablets which were being passed off as ecstasy tablets.

During one of the meetings on February 2, one of the undercover officers paid £1,700 for 3,400 2000peseta notes.

Detective Inspector Dave Brian, who is based at the Major Crime Unit at police headquarters, said after the sentencing at Preston Crown Court: "We are very pleased with the outcome.

"The whole operation was very successful and it was nice to hear the defence congratulating the police in court on their good police work. The purpose of Operation Stillwater was to impact on the distribution of counterfeit currency in Lancashire but also to disrupt this group who had the potential to bring huge amounts of drugs in."