The Whitney family built a criminal empire by peddling heroin and crack cocaine close to primary school playgrounds A notorious Liverpool crime family armed themselves with guns stolen from the army and lived the high level after peddling drugs close to primary school playgrounds. The Whitney family and their gang associates spent years at the top of a massive Anfield-based criminal network which had a stranglehold across much of Liverpool. The gang made selling heroin and crack cocaine a 24-hour business, running a cash and carry-style operation .
However, the gang, which was led by Paul Whitney, largely crumbled in 2011 when 13 members of the gang were handed sentences totalling 82 years. But following his release from prison, Paul Whitney instantly re-entered the criminal underworld, immersing himself once again as a high level drug supplier, now using encrypted messaging platform EncroChat. However, in December 2022, he was jailed once again - this time for nearly 15 years.
As part of a series that looks at Liverpool's criminal history , the ECHO has taken a closer look at the Whitney gang and the control they had on Liverpool during the noughties . For the Whitneys, it was a family affair. Paul headed up the gang with assistance of key family members and a number of trusted associates .
His mum Carol was dubbed "the banker", hoarding the gang's money. Her daughter Lisa acted as a street dealer while Leslie Whitney, Carol’s estranged husband, lived in one of the gang's .