John Barber & Billy Webb RULED Bolton With TERROR… Until One Got EXECUTED
Crime Pulse
125,485 views
🔍 GREATER MANCHESTER MOST DANGEROUS DRUG EMPIRE
On August 6, 1997, a summer afternoon in Bolton, Greater Manchester, became the scene of one of the most devastating consequences of organised crime in the region’s history.
Five-year-old Dillon Hull was fatally shot in the head on Bankfield Street while walking home with his stepfather, the intended target of a paid assassination. The attack, carried out by hired gunman Paul Seddon, was intended for a former drug associate — but ended in the death of an innocent child caught in the crossfire of a wider criminal war.
Behind the violence stood a structured and highly organised drug operation controlled by John Barber and Billy Webb — two men later described by Greater Manchester Police as key figures in a sophisticated Class A drug network that dominated parts of Bolton in the 1990s.
What followed was not an isolated incident, but a deeper investigation into a criminal enterprise built on fear, enforcement, and silence.
📍 In this Crime Pulse investigative documentary, we examine:
✅ The rise of John Barber from Breightmet and his role in organising supply routes into Greater Manchester
✅ Billy Webb’s position as the enforcer within a violent network linked to football hooliganism culture
✅ The structure of the Bolton drug operation, including Liverpool supply chains and street-level distribution networks
✅ The use of a Bolton café under a railway arch as a central meeting point for “board meetings”
✅ The systematic intimidation tactics used to maintain control over drug territory in Greater Manchester
✅ The 1997 assassination attempt that led to the murder of 5-year-old Dillon Hull
✅ The role of Paul Seddon and the conspiracy involving John Bates and rival drug networks
✅ The convictions of key conspirators at Preston Crown Court
✅ The wider impact of the killing on policing strategy across Greater Manchester
✅ The long-running investigation that eventually led to surveillance operations, undercover work, and arrests
🎥 Featuring:
• Court records and sentencing remarks from Greater Manchester and Preston Crown Courts
• Analysis of organised crime structures operating across Bolton and surrounding areas
• Reconstruction of the Dillon Hull shooting and its legal aftermath
• Investigation into intimidation tactics used to silence witnesses
• Breakdown of the wider Barber & Webb drug supply network
• Context on how Greater Manchester Police dismantled the operation through surveillance and intelligence work
This is not just the story of two men who ran a drug operation in Bolton.
It is the story of a Greater Manchester criminal empire built on control, violence, and fear — and the devastating moment when that system of power led to the death of an innocent child.
A case that exposed how deeply organised crime had embedded itself into parts of Greater Manchester’s streets… and how difficult it was to escape its reach.
👇 Join the conversation:
💬 Should long-term surveillance operations be used earlier in organised crime investigations?
🔔 Subscribe to Crime Pulse for investigative UK true crime documentaries and deep dives into major Greater Manchester and UK crime cases
👍 Like and share to support awareness of cases that changed communities forever
#UKTrueCrime #BoltonDrugGang #UKGangs #GanglandExecution #GreaterManchester #TrueCrimeDocumentary #DillonHullMurder #UKCrime #CrimePulse #BritishCrime
Disclaimer:
This documentary is based solely on publicly available information, including official court records, media reports, and other verifiable sources. It is created for educational and informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
All individuals named or shown are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing in this video is intended to defame, misrepresent, or unfairly stigmatize any person, family, or community. Any references to criminal activity are drawn strictly from reported facts and judicial outcomes at the time of production.
Images, footage, and materials included in this video are used under Fair Use for commentary, analysis, and documentary purposes. If you are a copyright holder and believe your material has been used inappropriately, please contact us directly for resolution.
20 Comments
I remember him, as a kid growing up in Tonge Moor.
He was always a bully, even as a kid!
An interesting take. The drug scene in Bolton is a lot darker now…..
John Barber & Billy Webb RULED Bolton With TERROR… Until One Got EXECUTED
Crime Pulse
125,485 views
🔍 GREATER MANCHESTER MOST DANGEROUS DRUG EMPIRE
On August 6, 1997, a summer afternoon in Bolton, Greater Manchester, became the scene of one of the most devastating consequences of organised crime in the region’s history.
Five-year-old Dillon Hull was fatally shot in the head on Bankfield Street while walking home with his stepfather, the intended target of a paid assassination. The attack, carried out by hired gunman Paul Seddon, was intended for a former drug associate — but ended in the death of an innocent child caught in the crossfire of a wider criminal war.
Behind the violence stood a structured and highly organised drug operation controlled by John Barber and Billy Webb — two men later described by Greater Manchester Police as key figures in a sophisticated Class A drug network that dominated parts of Bolton in the 1990s.
What followed was not an isolated incident, but a deeper investigation into a criminal enterprise built on fear, enforcement, and silence.
📍 In this Crime Pulse investigative documentary, we examine:
✅ The rise of John Barber from Breightmet and his role in organising supply routes into Greater Manchester
✅ Billy Webb’s position as the enforcer within a violent network linked to football hooliganism culture
✅ The structure of the Bolton drug operation, including Liverpool supply chains and street-level distribution networks
✅ The use of a Bolton café under a railway arch as a central meeting point for “board meetings”
✅ The systematic intimidation tactics used to maintain control over drug territory in Greater Manchester
✅ The 1997 assassination attempt that led to the murder of 5-year-old Dillon Hull
✅ The role of Paul Seddon and the conspiracy involving John Bates and rival drug networks
✅ The convictions of key conspirators at Preston Crown Court
✅ The wider impact of the killing on policing strategy across Greater Manchester
✅ The long-running investigation that eventually led to surveillance operations, undercover work, and arrests
🎥 Featuring:
• Court records and sentencing remarks from Greater Manchester and Preston Crown Courts
• Analysis of organised crime structures operating across Bolton and surrounding areas
• Reconstruction of the Dillon Hull shooting and its legal aftermath
• Investigation into intimidation tactics used to silence witnesses
• Breakdown of the wider Barber & Webb drug supply network
• Context on how Greater Manchester Police dismantled the operation through surveillance and intelligence work
This is not just the story of two men who ran a drug operation in Bolton.
It is the story of a Greater Manchester criminal empire built on control, violence, and fear — and the devastating moment when that system of power led to the death of an innocent child.
A case that exposed how deeply organised crime had embedded itself into parts of Greater Manchester’s streets… and how difficult it was to escape its reach.
👇 Join the conversation:
💬 Should long-term surveillance operations be used earlier in organised crime investigations?
🔔 Subscribe to Crime Pulse for investigative UK true crime documentaries and deep dives into major Greater Manchester and UK crime cases
👍 Like and share to support awareness of cases that changed communities forever
#UKTrueCrime #BoltonDrugGang #UKGangs #GanglandExecution #GreaterManchester #TrueCrimeDocumentary #DillonHullMurder #UKCrime #CrimePulse #BritishCrime
Disclaimer:
This documentary is based solely on publicly available information, including official court records, media reports, and other verifiable sources. It is created for educational and informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
All individuals named or shown are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing in this video is intended to defame, misrepresent, or unfairly stigmatize any person, family, or community. Any references to criminal activity are drawn strictly from reported facts and judicial outcomes at the time of production.
Images, footage, and materials included in this video are used under Fair Use for commentary, analysis, and documentary purposes. If you are a copyright holder and believe your material has been used inappropriately, please contact us directly for resolution.