TWO Bury men who were accused of conspiracy to commit murder in an alleged Salford gangland war have been acquitted.

Five men had been on trial at Manchester Crown Court over the past six weeks in relation to an attack against Abdul Rahman Khan in 2015 and a separate incident which took place weeks later.

Khan, who was shot and stabbed in his car, was said to be a close associate of Paul Massey, a “notorious Salford criminal.”

It was alleged his shooting was a part of a gangland war between the A team and the Anti A team.

Weeks after the incident Aaron Williams, said to be an associate of the A Team gang, was attacked in the street by a number of men with a machete.

Warren Barnes, 32 from Radcliffe, had been on trial accused of conspiracy to commit the murder of Kahn and also faced an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm (GBH) on him.

And Liam Gee, of Church Drive, Prestwich, had been accused of the same charges against Williams.

Along with their co-accused they were said to have been fighting to the Anti A team, led by Michael Carroll, against their enemies led by Stephen Britton.

But after two days of deliberation the jury had acquitted both men.

Prosecutors had alleged it was a “deadly war with lethal intent” but jurors rejected the idea that both men were involved

Aaron Parkin, 32, of no fixed address, had previously confessed to commiting GBH against Khan and Williams. He was found not guilty of conspiring to murder both of them.

Mark Fellows, 40, from HMP Wakefield, was found guilty of conspiring to commit GBH against Williams, but acquitted of conspiring to murder him and of the same two charges against Khan.

Jamie Rothwell, 33, from Grindon Avenue in Salford, was accused of conspiracy to commit GBH and murder against both men but was acquitted of all charges.

Fellows and Parkin will be sentenced tomorrow.