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Man charged after 'cannabis farm found in van parked in sleepy village'
10:04pm Friday 4th April 2008
A CANNABIS factory has been found in the heart of an exclusive Ribble Valley village, police say.
The discovery was made after police targeted a detached property just off Branch Road - an area of Mellor Brook where homes are valued at up to £750,000.
The raid shocked local residents, many of whom are young professionals or wealthy older people, with one saying: "You don't expect things like this to happen in Mellor Brook, especially not for drugs.
"I've never seen anything like this in the village before."
A 46-year-old man was arrested and charged with production of cannabis and will appear in court later this month.
Police said cannabis with a street value of hundreds of pounds was recovered from a van outside the house. They claimed that the haul included more than 100 cannabis plants and a small quantity of marijuana bush.
The van was allegedly hooked up to an electricity supply and was kitted out with ultraviolet lights and running water.
The house - a dormer bungalow - is located down a mud track that forks off Branch Road and is surrounded by high wooden fences.
Police said they were acting on reports from village residents to community officer PC Amanda Gibbons when they carried out the raid, at noon yesterday.
Sgt John Lindsey: "There was a mini cannabis factory in the van with more than 100 plants, which have been seized.
"Operations like this give reassurance to local residents and also shows that we do take action over information they provide us with."
A sniffer searched the property for possible traces of cocaine or ecstasy but none were found.
Sgt Rob Evans, of Clitheroe Police, said that while villages like Mellor Brook had a reputation for being peaceful places, officers were willing to investigate any concerns residents might have.
He added: "What this shows is that we take each piece of information we receive seriously and work on it.
"We are willing to act on information if people are willing to come to us, even if it's anonymously.
"I would urge anyone with concerns of this nature to get in touch with us."
For residents of Mellor Brook the drugs raid came as a major shock.
One resident of Branch Road, who asked not to be named, said it was very rare to see such a high profile police presence in the area.
She added: "It was just a major shock to see the police vans all over the road and down the track.
"You don't see too much activity at the house and its been fairly quiet round here for a long time."
Your Say YourTelegraph
Local Resident, mellor brook says...
10:31pm Sun 13 Apr 08
Local Resident wrote:Oh I don't have blinkers! but as "I" have children "I" don't want the likes of these people supplying drugs of any form near my home.
Incredible String Vest wrote: We? Do you mean \\\'I\\\'? Maybe \\\'we\\\' don\\\'t want you in our village. Did you notice that?...OUR village. It belongs to us all, regardless of your personal point of view. Appointing yourself as a spokesperson for the whole village is a bit much, Local Resident. As has been already mentioned, this kind of thing has continued locally for donkey\\\'s years and many of the previous participating youths have gone on to have fine worthwhile respectable lives and careers - and many still enjoy the odd joint in their spare time with no detriment to themselves, their families or their communities. Take off the blinkers. Surely there\\\'s more to life than worrying about what other folks do? If cannabis was totally eradicated tomorrow, exactly what effect would it have on your own insular existance in Mellor Brook? And after all, with your \\\'not in my back yard\\\' attitude that\\\'s all you\\\'re worried about isn\\\'t it?Oh I don't have blinkers! but as "I" have children "I" do want the likes of these people supplying drugs of any form near my home. How does this mans young child respond to the school gossips!. How indecorous of you to describe my life in the village as insular. Children would be a lot safer in the world today without the like of you preaching Drugs are OK. No further comments will be added.
How does this mans young child respond to the school gossips!. How indecorous of you to describe my life in the village as insular. Children would be a lot safer in the world today without the likes of you preaching Drugs are OK.
No further comments will be added.
Local Resident, mellor brook says...
10:27pm Sun 13 Apr 08
Incredible String Vest wrote:Oh I don't have blinkers! but as "I" have children "I" do want the likes of these people supplying drugs of any form near my home.
We? Do you mean \\\'I\\\'? Maybe \\\'we\\\' don\\\'t want you in our village. Did you notice that?...OUR village. It belongs to us all, regardless of your personal point of view. Appointing yourself as a spokesperson for the whole village is a bit much, Local Resident. As has been already mentioned, this kind of thing has continued locally for donkey\\\'s years and many of the previous participating youths have gone on to have fine worthwhile respectable lives and careers - and many still enjoy the odd joint in their spare time with no detriment to themselves, their families or their communities. Take off the blinkers. Surely there\\\'s more to life than worrying about what other folks do? If cannabis was totally eradicated tomorrow, exactly what effect would it have on your own insular existance in Mellor Brook? And after all, with your \\\'not in my back yard\\\' attitude that\\\'s all you\\\'re worried about isn\\\'t it?
How does this mans young child respond to the school gossips!. How indecorous of you to describe my life in the village as insular. Children would be a lot safer in the world today without the like of you preaching Drugs are OK.
No further comments will be added.
Incredible String Vest, says...
11:52pm Thu 10 Apr 08
Do you mean 'I'?
Maybe 'we' don't want you in our village. Did you notice that?...OUR village. It belongs to us all, regardless of your personal point of view. Appointing yourself as a spokesperson for the whole village is a bit much, Local Resident.
As has been already mentioned, this kind of thing has continued locally for donkey's years and many of the previous participating youths have gone on to have fine worthwhile respectable lives and careers - and many still enjoy the odd joint in their spare time with no detriment to themselves, their families or their communities.
Take off the blinkers.
Surely there's more to life than worrying about what other folks do?
If cannabis was totally eradicated tomorrow, exactly what effect would it have on your own insular existance in Mellor Brook? And after all, with your 'not in my back yard' attitude that's all you're worried about isn't it?
Local Resident, mellor brook says...
10:15pm Thu 10 Apr 08
Smokey McPot, Somewhere not too far away from Mellor says...
12:17pm Tue 8 Apr 08
Mellor has long had a dope smoking culture and until this - to my knowledge - there have been no problems.
No nuisance is caused.
There are a heck of a lot of the other Ribble Valley villages where there is a decent sized pot smoking contingent.
The problems occur with the kids who are in the Windmill or whatnot getting tanked up on Ale.
One other thing - to my knowledge the man in question has not "introduced a certain crowd of youngster to bigger things".
I think this country needs some drug education - dope smokers cause nobody any problems. A lot of people seem to group cannabis with heroin, crack cocaine and GHB - all far more dangerous. Many-a-survey will suggest that alcohol is more dangerous than cannabis but all the people who complain about cannabis will probably be sat there with a double whiskey, raging....
If alcohol was not legal now - there is no way it ever would be legalised.
Government need to put some thought into their next drugs policy. A hell of a lot of money and time goes into policing drugs. How about legalising cannabis and then implimenting some controls over it. Hell -even tax it like you tax everything else. That at least means you know exactly what people are smoking and you can regulate it. All prohibition ever did was make the criminal rich.
AboutTime, MBrook says...
3:07pm Mon 7 Apr 08
Incredible String Vest, Mellor Brook says...
5:42pm Sun 6 Apr 08
An ideal place for the activity - quiet, rural, peaceful, nice people, nice pubs - everything the discerning dope smoker wants!
Of course there would be hardly any fuss if this story happened in Blackburn.
Calm down folks!
Snavej, says...
2:51pm Sun 6 Apr 08
Gene Hunt, Mars says...
12:52pm Sun 6 Apr 08
stooball66, says...
6:28pm Sat 5 Apr 08
No offence intended im sure you like to lower your stress levels.
Wouldnt it be great if booze was banned and cannabis used in its place .
One big problem well two big problems one half the police force would have nowt to do so they could be sacked and save the taxpayer millions a week,
The second point if what they say about cannabis making you loopy then we could all end up like J Straw
Locla A, Mellor Brook says...
9:47am Sat 5 Apr 08
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RAID: The van outside the dormer bungalow off Branch Road, Mellor Brook, in which police say the cannabis plants were found
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mellorbrooky, Mellor Brook says...
7:31pm Mon 14 Apr 08