4:00pm Friday 24th October 2008
Lancing’s infamous cannabis café remains closed after a raid.
The heavily fortified building was sealed off and remained empty yesterday following the arrest of its owner, Mike Allday, 43, on Wednesday.
The café opened in January 2007 following the closure of a number of similar venues in Worthing and the building has been shut down temporarily on previous occasions.
But following seven raids in two years, including one occasion when a tractor was used to pull down a wall, senior police officers believe they have finally managed to close the business.
Gates leading to the café, in Freshbrook Road, have been shut and bolted and the entrance to the building is boarded up.
Police confirmed that a closure order had not been served on the building and there was nothing to prevent it being reopened.
A spokesman for Sussex Police told The Argus: “It has just been very securely sealed and there was no one there this morning.”
On Wednesday, police executed a series of warrants in Lancing and Worthing and five people were arrested on suspicion of supplying cannabis. Three of them were arrested at the café.
Mr Allday was arrested with a 39-year-old woman in Worthing. All five were bailed yesterday. No significant quantity of cannabis was found.
One of those arrested said: “All our phones have been kept by the police. We don’t know what is happening to the café.”
News of the closure has been welcomed by East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton.
He admitted the authorities had been powerless to close the café because of its heavy fortifications and called for a change in the law to prevent other cannabis cafés opening.
He said: “The council have appeared powerless to take any action which has understandably been exasperating for residents but I know how hard the police have been working behind the scenes.
“The law needs to be changed to prevent this sort of business from starting up again elsewhere. There are currently too many loopholes.”
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