A mother has been ordered to pay back more than half a million pounds for laundering her drug dealing son’s cash.

Catherine Blackburne, 57, of Cleveland Crescent, Borehamwood, was found to have benefitted around £508,092 at a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at St Albans Crown Court on Friday.

After a detailed financial investigation it was revealed she had been responsible for laundering all the money obtained from her son’s illegal activities since 2012.

A total of £72,450 in cash was seized by police following searches of properties and a safety deposit box with additional funds being laundered through the purchase land and property in Borehamwood.

She was ordered to repay the whole amount with three months or face a further five years in prison.

She was previously sentenced to 15 months in prison in September 2015.

At an earlier hearing Philip Blackburne was ordered to pay £5,260 after being found to have benefitted by £33,725 from his criminality.

The 34-year-old of Delius Close, Borehamwood, was convicted of drug trafficking offences in October 2015 and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Paul Fitzsimmons, from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, said: “Philip Blackburne made a huge amount of money from dealing drugs and tried to launder the cash through his mother.

“This case shows how we will relentlessly pursue all those involved in the use and supply of drugs to ensure no one benefits from their criminality.”