House rigged with explosives, court hears

A house at the centre of a bomb-squad search was rigged with explosives that could be triggered by trip-wires, a court has heard.

Dozens of surrounding homes were evacuated last month following the discovery of "suspicious items" in a property in Brierley Road, in the village of Grimethorpe in Barnsley.

Prosecutors said trip-wires linked to "small explosives" were found during the search and "were designed to hurt, at the very least".

Ian Claughton, 58, and Lesley Claughton, 57 - both of Brierley Road - are charged with drugs and firearms offences. No pleas were entered during the short hearing at Sheffield Crown Court.

A trial date was set for 3 March 2025.

South Yorkshire Police are continuing to examine the items which were recovered during the search, the court was told.

In May, Ian and Lesley Claughton were charged with bringing a realistic firearm into the UK, two counts of possession with intent to supply class B drugs, possession of a firearm and being concerned with the production of class B drugs.

Mr Claughton was also charged with setting a mantrap with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutor Helen Chapman said the charge related to "several devices" discovered at least one address, which police officers believed were intended to seriously injure.

No pleas were entered by either defendant during Friday's hearing due to issues with funding for Mr Claughton's legal team.

Mr Claughton, who appeared via video link from prison, was remanded into custody, while Mrs Claughton was released on conditional bail.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].