FIVE HELD AFTER 'CANNABIS CAFE' RAID

The suspected owner of a cannabis cafe was in custody last night after
a series of raids designed at smashing the organised supply of the
drug.

Police said Mike Allday, 43, was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of
selling the Class C drug in the heavily fortified cafe in Freshbrook
Road, Lancing.

He was being questioned last night along with a 39-year-old woman from
Brighton. Both were arrested in Worthing.

Police also executed a warrant at the cannabis cafe and arrested three
people on suspicion of supplying cannabis.

Officers used an angle grinder to gain access to the building and took
three men - a 32-year-old, a 39-year-old and a 19-year-old, all from
Worthing - into custody.

Warrants were also executed at homes in Worthing and
Lancing.

Inspector Jason Wilson, of Sussex Police, led the operation. He said:
"The raids have been a great success and we have arrested five people
suspected of being involved in the supply of drugs in the local area.

"This crackdown is ongoing and we will continue to focus our efforts
on those who think they can get away with committing drug-related crime.

"Our message to those offenders is simple we will find out who you
are and we will arrest you." Chief Inspector James Asser, district
commander for Adur, told The Argus: "We will continue to do all we
can to disrupt the trade of drugs."

It is the seventh time the cafe has been raided by officers since it
opened for business in 2007.

During yesterday's raid they removed one of the thick steel doors to
gain access.

Police have repeatedly targeted the cannabis cafe and have, on
occasions, gone to extreme lengths to try and arrest those inside.

They have used heavy duty equipment, including a tractor to tear down
a wall. But only tiny quantities of cannabis have ever been recovered
and only a handful of arrests made.

Police said last night the exact amount of cannabis recovered during
the latest raids was unknown.