Duo jailed for Covid crimes

A FATHER and son used a £50,000 Covid-19 Bounce Back Loan to buy homes where they could grow cannabis, a court heard.

Brian Maxwell, 54, and son Brian Jr, 35, spent the cash on cheap properties and fitted light timers so they looked lived in.

Maxwell Snr, of Tarbock Green, Merseyside, was jailed for 13 years and four months after admitting drug offences at Liverpool crown court.

His son, from Widnes, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to firearms offences and got 18 years and four months.

Bounce Back Loans were launched in May 2020 to help firms survive the Covid-19 lockdowns.