THREE men have appeared in court following a series of dawn drugs raids.

Officers stormed the homes addresses of three men accused of being involved in dealing £500,000 worth of class a drugs across Warrington between August and December.

Operation Cortex, led by Cheshire Police's Force Crime Operations Unit, has been investigating drug distribution in Warrington and Manchester during that time and the raids were carried out on Tuesday morning.

Leon Cullen, aged 23, of Westbridge Mews, Bruche, John Large, aged 23, of Chiltern Crescent, Orford, and 21 year old Graham Berryman, of Bewsey Road, Warrington, were arrested in the early hours.

A house connected with the gang on Corbet Avenue, Orford, was searched by police and more than £20,000 cash was seized.

The three men were charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and have appeared before Halton Magistrates Court in Runcorn.

A fourth man involved in the operation, 27 year old Christopher Bullock from Manchester, was charged with conspiracy to supply class a drugs and remanded in December last year after a stop check of his car in Warrington recovered four kilograms of class a drugs.