DETAILS have emerged in court about a gun and explosives 'factory' linked to organised crime that has been run from the Buckles Lane traveller site in South Ockendon.

Amid the huge swath of mobile homes on the sprawling, mostly illegal encampment where Thurrock Council has run a largely unsuccessful planning enforcement campaign, a crime overlord ran a supply operation dealing in deadly firearms for sale to gangs across London and the south-east.

Thomas McKenna, 59, ran a workshop, housed in a static caravan, which was equipped with drills, lathes and welding equipment and was also used to transform ammunition into illegal 'dum dum' bullets, which have hollowed-out heads that expand upon impact with their target.

The workshop and its contents were discovered when the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, SO15, organised a raid at the site in November last year.

Officers also discovered gunpowder and evidence of attempts to make homemade bombs inside the converted mobile home McKenna was using.

Evidence of his links to extreme right-wing anti-Muslim activity was also seized at the time.

McKenna came to the attention of SO15 after he was suspected of being the supplier of a converted pistol and expanding ammunition found during a police search of Sterling Sports and Prestige Ltd, a high-end car dealership in Kent.

He has now admitted a string of offences including converting imitation firearms into firearms, conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited firearms, conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited ammunition, possession of prohibited firearms and possession of prohibited ammunition.

McKenna's girlfriend, Tina Smith, admitted one count of possession of a prohibited firearm in respect of one of the converted Ceonic blank-firing pistols.

The pair both pleaded guilty to making explosives, while McKenna admitted attempting to make explosives – although they denied it was in connection with terrorism.

They also pleaded not guilty to being in possession of other weapons including crossbows, throwing axes, a hunting knife and knuckle dusters for a terrorist purpose.

The pair did admit to holding a collection of documents and videos relating to making explosives which were likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, including one specifically on how to make a Sten submachine gun from scrap metal parts.

Buckles Lane camp site.

The National Crime Agency has previously warned that organised crime gangs are using blank guns imported from Turkey that are converted into viable weapons in backstreet workshops.

Details of the case against McKenna and Smith emerged during the trial of Allan Crosby and Ryan Smith, both 44, who ran Sterling Sports and Prestige Ltd from a business unit in Mereworth, near Maidstone, but they were subject to reporting restrictions until it concluded.

Crosby admitted possession of ammunition and possession with intent to supply around a half a kilo of cocaine in June.

Both men denied possession of the firearm found at their car business but a jury found Crosby guilty of possession of the firearm and Ryan Smith guilty of possession of the firearm and ammunition.

They are due to be sentenced with McKenna and Tina Smith on Thursday, 29 January.

The court heard that in addition to McKenna and his girlfriend, the crime gang was made up of Patrick Loughnane, 59, Ricky Dorey, 43, who also lived at Buckles Lane, his brother Robert Dorey, 44, and a woman called Tammy Rigg, 39. They have all previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited firearms in connection with separate sales at a separate hearing and they will be sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Friday, 27 February.

It is not the first time Buckles Lane has been linked with major crime - in 2022 site resident Craig Phillips was among a crime gang operating locally and he was jailed for nine years, nine months for drugs supply and transferring criminal property.