A Judge has blasted a father after he allowed his sons to run a cannabis supply racket from his home.

Police raided two homes belonging to William Sledden in 2014 and 2015 and found hundreds of pounds worth of cannabis in a metal tin and plastic bags and more than £1,000 in cash.

Burnley Crown Court heard how his sons Daniel and William Sledden were also involved in supplying ‘modest quantities’ to friends after text messages were found on seized mobile phones.

All three men, of Hopwood Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis over a five-month period.

William Sledden, 45, was given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Daniel Sledden, 27, and Samuel Sledden, 22, were both given two-year jail sentences, suspended for two years, after both were previously convicted in 2012 for possessing amphetamines and cannabis with intent to supply

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told William Sledden: “You are the father of these two and you’ve let this dealing go on in your house. Throw them out. I can’t believe you let them carry on like this in your house. It’s not what a father does.”

She told the two sons: “You two are drug dealers. You were drug dealers in 2012 and in 2014.

“You’re both old enough to know better.

“Your father should’ve stopped you but you’re both men and should’ve behaved like men and not been dealing drugs.”

David Farley, prosecuting, said police executed a warrant in May 2014 and found small amounts of cannabis and in June stopped two people walking away from the house with cannabis.

William Sledden’s home was searched again in August 2014 and he was seen ‘trying to pour something down the sink’.

Mr Farley said officers executed a warrant at another house belonging to William Sledden on Hopwood Street in January 2015 and found cannabis worth £70 and digital scales.

Anthony Parkinson, defending William Sledden, said he had no recent relevant convictions.

He said Daniel Sledden had taken a ‘significant step in the right direction’ by getting full-time work and his previous jail sentence in 2012 ‘clearly didn’t work’.

Daniel Prowse, defending Samuel, said ‘those significantly older should be setting an example and plainly they are not’.