THE head of a £60 million Worcestershire-based drugs ring has lost an appeal against his conviction.

Robert Whitehouse, 70, was reportedly the main organiser of UK operations for an international drugs syndicate, according to a judge.

The multi-million pound operation was organised from a small farm office in Kempsey, Worcestershire.

Birmingham Crown Court jailed the Bromsgrove pensioner for 22-and-a-half years after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import and supply drugs, in 2014.

He decided to challenge the conviction and the length of his sentence at the Court of Appeal, in the Royal Court of Justice, on Thursday, June 15.

But Judge Peter Collier QC, sitting with Justice Elisabeth Laing and Lady Justice Rafferty, dismissed his appeal.

They said there was no merit in his complaint, which was based on a claim that he had received bad advice from his lawyers.

Robert Scott, of Broughton Hackett, Worcester, was also handed a 20-year prison sentence for his role in the group, in 2014.

He challenged this sentence on Friday, March 3, 2016, but the appeal was dismissed.

The 69-year-old was jailed for the same charges as Whitehouse and also pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court.

West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police seized over £13.5m worth of drugs from Whitehouse’s ring in Operation Goal.

Officers found 1,000kg of cannabis, 64kg of amphetamines and 107kg of MDMA during the operation, which started in July 2013.

Scott was ordered to pay £44,966.88 at a confiscation hearing in October 2015, while Whitehouse was told to hand over £442,945.67.

West Mercia Police Inspector Andy Bailey previously said: "The sentences that these men have received, followed by the recent significant confiscation orders should send out a clear message to all criminals, or those thinking of getting involved in criminal activity, that crime does not pay."