Tanning Chain Left Red Faced 
During September 2002 the Merseyside Police launched Operation Gresty, a covert operation intended to attack volume crime in the St Helens area by arresting and prosecuting drug dealers and thereafter depriving them of the proceeds of this vile trade.
On 25th May 2004, a total of 23 people were arrested for trafficking heroin, cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy. Two individuals were abroad at the time and have not returned.
The last of these cases was finalised on 2nd April 2007 with the financial hearing in the case of Alan John Smith, a 39-year-old man from Rainford who was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court on 22nd November 2004 of supplying cocaine with a street value of over £5,000 to an undercover police officer. He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Prior to his arrest he had been the licensee of the Boilermakers Arms, St Helens, a partner in a café and a director of a chain of tanning salons in the area. At the hearing his benefit from crime was assessed to be £208,871. The available amount for confiscation was found to be £107,415 and it was ordered that he pay this within six months or serve a consecutive jail sentence of two years in default.
In all, sixteen people were convicted of offences ranging from trafficking in Class A controlled drugs to simple possession and received a total of 49 years in prison. Specialist officers from the North West Regional Asset Recovery Team investigated the financial aspects of the operation and Confiscation Orders totalling £379,958 were made against twelve of them. The following were the most significant of those in addition to Smith:
Mark Ronald Redcliffe, 46 years of age, formerly a tanning salon proprietor from Haydock was sentenced to 3 years 9 months in prison for dealing in heroin and cocaine. He was ordered to pay back £118,967.
Barry Michael Edwards, 32 years of age, formerly a sales director from St Helens was sentenced to five years in prison for dealing in cocaine and cannabis. He was ordered to pay back £17,500.
Craig Phillip Fletcher, 29 years of age, formerly a property developer from Newton le Willows was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for dealing in cocaine. He was ordered to pay back £59,718.
Nicky Stephen Roberts, 29 years of age, formerly a driving instructor from St Helens was sentenced to six years in prison. He was ordered to pay back £70,000.
DCI Mike Jones, Head of the North West Regional Asset Recovery Team said, “The orders made in this case have been made over a period of two years and some have already been satisfied as the alternative to spending additional time behind bars. Payment of the orders will be pursued by the Regional Enforcement Task Force.” Crime does not pay.