Police tackling drug crime across Burnham and Highbridge (From Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News)

Police tackling drug crime across Burnham and Highbridge

8:00am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News By Kirsty James

POLICE have made a string of arrests as they tackle the number one concern for people in the Burnham and Highbridge area – drug crime.

At last week’s police-led Have Your Say meeting in Highbridge, the community made it loud and clear that drugs was the area’s biggest problem.

And officers are tackling it, carrying out a series of raids across the Burnham and Highbridge area in the past fortnight.

They include:  

• A large quantity of suspected drugs seized from a property in Rosewood Close, Burnham, resulting in the arrest of a 43- year-old man.
• Five suspected cannabis plants seized from a flat on The Esplanade in Burnham.
• A man arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis at a house in Raleigh Gardens, Burnham.
• A 39-year-old man cautioned for growing cannabis at a home in Somerset Way, Highbridge.
• And a 59-year-old man arrested and charged on suspicion of possessing cannabis following a raid in the Morland estate in Highbridge.

Sgt Ian Kennett, of Burnham police, said: “At last week’s Have Your Say meeting we updated the public on our progress based on information provided by the community.

“These meetings are vital as we rely on the public providing information to their local beat team in the strictest of confidence.

“Over the last six months drug matters have been marked as a police priority in Burnham and Highbridge.

“As well as our massive police operation, Relentless, we are also going about our usual business like targeting drug issues, which has a knock-on effect of reducing other crimes.”

Joe Leach, councillor for Highbridge and Burnham Marine, said: “There’s definitely an issue with drugs in Highbridge. People see it themselves; it’s not so underground anymore. I’d encourage people to tell the police if they see anything suspicious, even if it’s just a seemingly suspicious car.

“There have been cases where people have been arrested for dealing in their cars and people shouldn’t be afraid to dial the non-emergency number, 101. The police do a fantastic job.”

The next Have Your Say meeting for the Burnham area is on October 10 from 7.30pm at The Old Courthouse on Jaycroft Road.