NINE people have appeared in court charged with conspiring to supply hard drugs in west Wiltshire.

The eight men and one woman are said to have been involved in dealing cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis in the Trowbridge area last year.

All but one of the defendants appeared in the dock at Swindon Crown Court on Friday charged with conspiracy to supply drugs.

No charges were formally put to the eight who attended court and they spoke only to confirm their names during the hearing.

The case is to be heard at Bristol Crown Court next summer. The defendants are:

  • Nourdine Bakali, 35, of Francis Street, Trowbridge.
  • Ian Daisley, 43, of Rutland Crescent, Trowbridge.
  • Philip Histed, 36, of Lowbourne, Trowbridge.
  • Harrison Futcher, 18, of Kingswood Chase, Studley Green, Trowbridge.
  • Nicholas Martin, 40, of Wiltshire Way, Westbury.
  • Jason Ford, 32, of Redland Park, Bath.
  • Dennis Green, 39, of Fairfield House, Bradford Leigh, Bradford on Avon.
  • Alan Hillier, 40, of Strorridge Road, Westbury.

A Trowbridge woman who was arrested at the time was never charged and was treated by police as a victim in the case.

A warrant was issued to secure the attendance of Histed, who the court heard may have gone to a family funeral on the day of the hearing. The case, which is expected to last between six and eight weeks, was transferred to Bristol Crown Court because the courtrooms at Swindon are not big enough for all of the lawyers.

Judge Douglas Field told the hearing: "With reluctance I am going to transfer this case to Bristol."

He issued a warrant with bail to get Histed to attend court but released the other eight defendants on conditional bail.

All were told they must not have contact with each other but Daisley was also ordered to surrender his passport and Bakali had to have a £20,000 surety lodged, report weekly to Trowbridge police station and live at either Francis Street or Lydiard Way, Trowbridge.

The nine defendants are next due to appear before a judge in Bristol in the New Year when they are expected to enter pleas to the charges with the trial expected to take place in June next year.