Police find cannabis farm remains in New Brighton's oldest pub - eight arrested and questioned
THE remains of a cannabis farm were found in one of the oldest pubs in Wirral.
THE remains of a cannabis farm were found in one of the oldest pubs in Wirral.
Acting on a tip-off police searched Peggy Gadfly's in Victoria Road, New Brighton, last Wednesday.
Over two floors of the corner pub they found the remnants of a drugs factory and evidence of a recent harvest and attempted clean-up operation.
They seized a number of cannabis roots and items used in the growing of the drug.
Inquiries at the pub - said to be New Brighton's first hotel dating back more than 160 years - took officers to a house in Northbrook Road, Wallasey, which was also searched and 50 cannabis plants were found.
In total eight people were arrested and questioned.
Four women aged 24, 36 and 44 from Wallasey and a 53-year-old from New Brighton along with a 45-year-old man from Prenton and three Wallasey men aged 41, 42 and 52 were all questioned on suspicion of production of cannabis before being bailed pending further inquiries.
Inspector Mike Barrett said: "We take the issue of cannabis farming very seriously and will act on all information we receive.
"Cannabis is not the innocent drug it has historically been perceived to be and it is often linked to more serious crime.
"Cannabis has a very distinctive smell and we urge anyone who sees any suspicious activity and believes there is a cannabis farm in their area to call us so we can take action."
Local legend says Peggy Gadfly's is named after a one-legged high diver who would entertain crowds coming off the New Brighton ferry in the early 20th century.
But the diver's surname was spelt wrongly after someone mistook Peggy Gadsby's surname for Peggy Gadfly.
http://www.wirralnews.co.uk 15/08/2012
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