Cannabis raid saw man evicted from his Horncastle home

Horncastle police have revealed a man has been evicted from his home in the town after a raid which led to a '˜low-level' cannabis growing operation being shut down.
Lincolnshire PoliceLincolnshire Police
Lincolnshire Police

Police have not revealed the location of the raid but confirmed they were acting on information from members of the public.

Recently appointed PCSO Iliyana Edwards included the raid in a crime report at the annual town meeting last Wednesday.

She did not reveal any details but stressed it was a ‘low-level cannabis growing operation’ and police had acted quickly - before it escalated.

PCSO Edwards told the meeting - attended by councillors and the public - that crime figures in Horncastle were running at ‘very low’ levels.

She said in the last month, there had been two reports of thefts from outbuildings and four from properties.

She added the highest percentage of calls to police related to suspicious activities like scams and door-to-door callers.

She said many of the callers were ‘very pushy’ but stressed officers were working to identify individuals involved.

PCSO Edwards explained recent publicity - and campaigns by officers and trading standards officials - had highlighted the increasing threat of scams.

She said that as a result, more people were more aware of the potential dangers, and more people were reporting suspicious activity.

Regarding thefts, PSCO Edwards said officers used CCTV coverage to catch offenders.

However, she pointed out cameras did not cover every part of the town, including the Sir Joseph Banks Centre where thieves recently made off with door handles.

She was asked by a member of the public about recent reports of anti social behaviour in the Market Place and, in particular, of youths doing ‘wheelies’ on cycles in High Street.

PCSO Edwards said: “We are aware of the problem and we are patrolling the area. We will catch them but of course, we can’t be everywhere all of the time.

“We are working very hard to solve crimes and make Horncastle a very safe place to live.”

Speaking after the meeting, PC Dave Mills, Beat Manager for the town’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, confirmed a male had been arrested with regard to the drugs raid.

He also confirmed that as part of a joint operation with other agencies, the man had subsequently been evicted from a property, owned by a housing association.

He said: “We were acting on information supplied by the public who were concerned about suspicious activity at a property.

“Incidents like this are few and far between (in Horncastle) but if members of the public are concerned, please get in touch with us.”