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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Club denies it's a cannabis cafe
Rachel Wareing rachel.wareing@theargus.co.uk Worthing Argus
Wednesday 07 Feb 2007 Owners of a social club have denied rumours it is being run as a cannabis café. Police are investigating allegations of drug use at the renovated industrial unit, which opened for business last week. Officers have visited the site to talk to staff and have searched a number of people leaving the premises in Freshbrook Road, Lancing, but have no firm evidence of drug-taking. advertisement A spokesman for the club said it was a meeting place, which would be hired out for business meetings and used as an informal members' club at other times. He said the property, which has been furnished with sofas, soft lighting and tables, would open from noon until 8pm. He said: "There's no drugs sold here and we would not allow anyone to use them on the premises. "We've got computers and wireless internet and the idea is that people can come in and work in a relatively relaxed environment. "Mainly we're going to rent it out for meetings and open it up for casual use the rest of the time. "It already has planning permission to be used as an office, which fits in with what we're using it for. "We aren't opening the doors to all and sundry, only people who are known to us. "We've got a doorman to open and close the main gates for people and welcome them in. "We don't want to upset anyone and we want to work with residents." Chief Inspector Lawrence Hobbs said there was no firm evidence of drug use on the premises. However, he said lessons had been learned from the force's experiences in dealing with the cannabis cafés in Worthing, one of which took more than a year to close down after several raids failed to turn up any illicit substances. He said: "It is early days and we do not want to rush in. We want to gather some evidence, seek some legal advice and listen to how the community want us to deal with it. "I do not sense there's any physical threat to residents." He said the force was examining its options, which include obtaining a search warrant as well as working with Adur District Council to examine whether the business is in breach of any of its planning regulations. An outside meeting is being organised in the street on Friday at 6.30pm. East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton, who campaigned for the closure of cannabis cafés in Worthing, said another in the Lancing area would be a "very unwelcome development". One resident, who asked not to be named, said the site was inappropriate for a social club as there were schools and a sheltered housing scheme for the elderly nearby. Diane Hawkes, deputy headteacher at Thornberry Middle School in Worthing, said they were aware of the situation. She said: "We shall be monitoring it closely in order to ensure the welfare and safety of our pupils." http://www.theargus.co.uk/
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