Former Liverpool City Council worker Alan Hunter has been jailed for three years after admitting supplying fraudulent permits to an organised crime gang that set up cannabis farms across the UK.
Hunter, 57, of Holly Road in Haydock, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make items used in fraud, misconduct in a public office and use of criminal property. He was sentenced on Tuesday, November 10, alongside three other men involved in the conspiracy.
How the fraud was uncovered
Hunter came to light during Operation Spark, an investigation into a gang that used a company called Elev8 as a cover for cannabis cultivation. Officers examining the phone of Colin White, who was jailed in March 2025, found evidence linking Hunter to the plot.
White, 62, of Warnerville Road, Broad Green, was employed by Scottish Power Energy Networks as a jointers mate, giving him unsupervised access to equipment needed when cutting into cables. Other conspirators referred to visiting "Col" for equipment such as resin or cable.
On February 8 2024, officers from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) executed a warrant at the home of Luke Whenary. Analysis of his mobile phone uncovered evidence linking others, including Liam Shelbourne and William Grant, to the conspiracy.
Role of the permits and payments
Between July 2020 and November 2020, conversations between Whenary and Grant showed them arranging work, discussing payments, and planning how to make their work look legitimate. Whenary acted as a facilitator between a Western Balkan organised crime group setting up cannabis farms and those carrying out illegal electricity abstractions.
Grant used his groundwork company to provide a legitimate front for excavation work required to illegally connect properties to electricity supplies. Shelbourne worked as a cable jointer, initially employed by Grant before working directly for Whenary.
Messages showed Hunter sending section 50 permits to White via WhatsApp in exchange for payment. In one conversation he stated: "Hopefully I've covered my tracks good enough on that otherwise I'll get sacked." Hunter also talked about buying a new kitchen and booking another holiday on the back of more 'jobs'.
Liverpool City Council later confirmed the permits were fraudulent and that Hunter was not authorised to issue them. Hunter was arrested at his home on April 29 2024. A review of his phone and financial records showed that between September 2021 and July 2023 he received more than £20,000 in payments linked to the fraudulent permits.
Sentencing and response
Luke Whenary, 35, of Inglby Grove, Stockton on Tees, was jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to abstract electricity and encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it would be committed. William Grant, 59, of Dwerryhouse Lane, Norris Green, received the same sentence for conspiracy to abstract electricity, encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, and conspiracy to steal. Liam Shelbourne, 46, of Cathedral Road, Anfield, was jailed for two years and three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to abstract electricity.
Andrew Lewis, Liverpool City Council Chief Executive, said: "Hunter's criminal activities were a shameful breach of public trust, and he will now rightly face the consequences of his actions. We expect absolute integrity from our staff and have zero tolerance for fraud, corruption, or abuse of a public position.
"Immediate action was taken when we were made aware of Hunter's involvement in illegal activity. Liverpool City Council worked closely with the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit throughout their investigation, and thank them for a successful outcome to this case."
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Wild from the NWROCU said: "These individuals played a significant role in supporting organised criminality. Some were directly involved in arranging and carrying out the work, while others used positions of trust or specialist knowledge to assist the organised crime group for financial gain. Whether you're directing the criminality or enabling it, we will identify you and bring you before the courts."
