A Bradford retailer has been ordered to stop selling so-called legal highs in what West Yorkshire Police call an innovative use of court powers.
Pervez Abbas, of Barker’s Newsagents on Sunbridge Road, was made subject to a High Court Order on October 22, which is a legally binding agreement with the courts and the police, that he must cease selling legal highs from his shop or storing them on the premises.
On October 6, Barkers was served with a Closure Order by police and partners, pending the court hearing, because of concerns the authorities say about its links to anti-social behaviour in the city centre and the wider district. The shop can now reopen and trade as normal, though the order will last indefinitely and any breaches will result in a return to court.
The order is part of Operation Nightshot, a multi-agency campaign led by West Yorkshire Police which is targeting the largely unregulated market in new psychoactive substances, which are made as chemical substitutes for illegal drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy. West Yorkshire Police last year were invited to be part of the Association of Chief Police Officers steering group looking at developing national best practice and policy on the issue as a result of its work.
Inspector Andrew Gallant from the Bradford City Neighbourhoods team said the court result sent a clear message to businesses choosing to sell products that may impact on anti-social behaviour. “Their responsibility goes much further than the sale of legitimate items if they have a negative impact on the communities around them. I am by no way complacent with the success of our approach; the effects of legal highs on users is still a concern to the partnership. I will continue to work with key organisations to protect members of the community from harm and anti-social behaviour and prevent the sale of so-called legal highs.
“The success of this work could not have been achieved without the help and consent of the public who have come forward to say ‘NO, this is not acceptable.’ I would like to thank and encourage the people of Bradford who collectively help the authorities drive anti-social behaviour out of the city.”
