THIS is the moment that two gang members were arrested in the hot tub of a hotel.

Kane Birch and Macauley Peacock were hiding out in the Village Hotel on Centre Park, and were wearing only swimming shorts when they were seized by police as they were exiting the hot tub.

Both men and co-defendant Dean Murphy, all of whom are from Manchester, have now been handed lengthy spells behind bars after a gun was found in their hotel room.

Warrington Guardian:

A gun found by officers in the hotel room

Warrington Guardian:

Chester Crown Court heard today, Monday, that officers received information that wanted man Birch, 23, was staying in the hotel.

He and 24-year-old were getting out of the hot tub when police arrived at the scene on the morning of Tuesday, June 25, and were then detained in the swimming pool area.

The pair had booked into the hotel under false names, and 20-year-old Murphy was later found asleep upstairs in a double bed.

During a search of their room, officers found a black bag on the windowsill containing a loaded Glock pistol, an encrypted mobile phone and the keys to a stolen Audi.

Peacock and Murphy both admitted being in possession of a firearm, with the former jailed for 14 years after also pleading guilty to arson in a separate incident in the Manchester area.

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Warrington Guardian:

Macauley Peacock

He was found with £800 in cash, a fake Rolex watch and they keys to a stolen Volkswagen Golf which was parked outside the hotel.

Murphy was jailed for eight years, having also admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and been found with two mobile phones, £165 cash, the key to a stolen Jaguar and a passport that did not belong to him.

Warrington Guardian:

Dean Murphy

During a previous hearing last month, Birch was handed four years behind bars having had a ‘significant role’ in orchestrating a county lines supply of class A drugs from Manchester to Macclesfield.

Warrington Guardian:

Kane Birch

Detective chief inspector Mike Evans said: “This is yet another example of people travelling into Cheshire to inflict harm on our communities thinking they can get away with it – but my message is that we will relentlessly pursue them to ensure they pay for their crimes.

“These men knew they were wanted by police yet they naively believed by hiding out in a hotel they would avoid detection – they were proved wrong.

“We also recovered a loaded gun in what is a significant step in our fight against organised crime and has no doubt saved lives.”