A BUSINESSMAN who had shotguns and videos seized from his home today defended employing schoolboys at his moorland mansion.

Darren Gerrard, 30, spoke out after a police raid at his rented property, Lord's Hall, in Darwen.

During the raid two shotguns and more than 800 videos, about 100 of which Mr Gerrard admitted were "adult", were recovered.

But he has defended a move to pay year 11 pupils from local high schools more than £3 an hour to do "a range" of jobs at the isolated property.

Lord's Hall sits high on the Darwen moors off Bury Fold Lane. Visitors are met by imposing iron gates about half a mile before the property. There is a second set of remote-controlled gates nearer the house.

Mr Gerrard, who moved into the house in March from the Prestwich area, said between five and eight boys had been employed at the house, but some had now been pulled out by their parents after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that police had seized videos and guns during a raid. He said: "A number of boys have been pulled out by their parents but there are still about four or five who are doing general work, including gardening.

"The pupils have been given jobs by word of mouth. Some were previously only being paid £1.70 an hour gross. I have also promised them full-time jobs when they turn 16 on contracts of between £9,000 and £11,000 a year.

"What is wrong with that? I have nothing to hide. Some parents have expressed concern but I have invited them up to take a look around.

"The boys have got exams coming up and I am going to make sure they complete them. Anybody who does not continue with their education does not work for me."

Mr Gerrard said he was renting the house for £2,500 a month from local businessman Arthur Morgan. He said between 600 and 700 of the videos seized by police were of programmes that had been recorded by himself or staff. He said the remainder were gay and straight adult videos.

He said the guns seized belonged to an associate who had a firearms licence.

Mr Gerrard said he was in the process of setting up a string of businesses based in Flixton, near Manchester, including mobile phone and marketing firms.

He claimed he had made more than 50 official complaints against the police which, he said, were being investigated by the Police Complaints Authority.

A spokeswoman for the education welfare service in Blackburn said a number of recent cases of pupils accepting well-paid, casual work had come to their attention.

She said: "I am sure the temptation is always there for young people when they see the end of their school life coming.

"Our main concern, apart from the fact the children are breaking the law, is that they do not have insurance cover." Teachers in the Darwen area have also expressed concern that 15 and 16-year-old pupils could be putting their studies in jeopardy by accepting casual work.

Mike Humphreys, chairman of the Lancashire Association of School Headmasters, said: "Any pupil who is still at school and who is working at a part-time job is governed by the Children's and Young Persons' Act and requires a Certificate of Employment from the education welfare service.

"It is always disappointing if a pupil underachieves because well-paid, part-time employment has distracted them from getting good qualifications at GCSE."

A Police Complaints Authority spokesman said there was no record of any formal complaints from Mr Gerrard.

A Lancashire Police spokeswoman said a single complaint was made against the constabulary by Mr Gerrard about a month ago.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: "We can confirm that we have received a number of complaints against police from Darren Gerrard. The matters are currently being investigated."

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