I was just settling down with a glass of Cotes du Rhone to watch some television on Saturday evening (4 April 2015) when the phone rang.
It was Cllr Angela Gabriel and she told me there had been a drugs raid in Beeston. I thanked her for the information, but she said no she wasn’t ringing me as reporter, she needed some help. The Police were dismantling a cannabis factory and there were 30 bags of compost that they were happy to give to community groups, but they had to be collected in the next 30 minutes.
Angela had had a drink so we went in my car and met Ian Pickup and two helpers from The Holbeck (WMC). A couple of Police vans were pulled up on Woodlea Mount and there was a skip outside number 3. Lamps, wiring and ventilation gear was being dumped in the skip, whilst a stack of compost bags filled the front garden.
PCSO Kirsty Johnson explained that they had been carrying out house to house inquiries relating to the bus stop rape on 6 March, when they happened upon the cannabis growing operation.
Cllr Angela Gabriel said:
“I’m delighted that the Police have found and dismantled this cannabis factory. It’s a sign of our close partnership that they can get in touch and pass on gardening materials to community groups. The compost will be distributed to Beeston, Holbeck and Cottingley In Bloom groups.”
