Community United in the Campaign Against 'Your High'

6.58.16pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 22nd Jun 2008

The law may need changing to stop shops like 'Your High' from trading

Mrs Ramsey, the Headteacher of Bandon Hill Primary School, was the host for a meeting at Bandon Hill Primary School about 'Your High', a shop selling cannabis paraphernalia in Stafford Road, Wallington.

Attending the meeting, which was chaired by Tom Brake MP, were a number of local Councillors, Cllr Jayne McCoy, Cllr Joan Hartfield, Tom Police Constable Tom Hill, other officers in the Safer Neighbourhood Police team, the Chair of Governors and many parents. Around fifty people attended in total.

Many action points were agreed during the meeting, including investigating whether other police forces have been successful at controlling or shutting down similar premises elsewhere, checking the direction and functionality of the CCTV in the area, establishing the legal opening and closing hours for the shop and securing a meeting with Ken Jones, the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers. ACPO have been charged by Government to try and identify new approaches to controlling and where possible shutting down premises that sell drugs' related products.

Cllr McCoy will be following up the planning issues. She said, "Ultimately we want the shop shut. But in the meantime we must make sure that the owner observes scrupulously all legal requirements."

Tom Brake is meeting Ken Jones, the ACPO President in a fortnight's time and will be raising 'Your High' then. But Tom has already invited the Chief Constable to come to Wallington to meet concerned residents to hear their frank views about 'Your High'. He will also be presenting the Chief Constable with a 'Your High' petition. This has already received hundreds of signatures, with more coming in daily. The petition can be signed on Tom Brake's website tombrake.co.uk.

Tom said, "It is almost certain that the ACPO review will confirm the law will have to be changed. Then the ball will be in the Home Office's court. Do they want to stop this type of trade or not?"