Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Nottinghamshire Police have stepped up their fight against drugs across Mansfield and Ashfield by closing down seven houses connected to drugs supply across the two districts.

And Insp Jon Hewitt, Nottinghamshire Police’s Ashfield district commander, warned landlords to show due diligence on monitoring who is in their properties after it was revealed all seven of the houses closed down were owned by the same landlord.

He said: “We have carried out a number of warrants in the last couple of weeks in respect to cannabis cultivation across Mansfield and Ashfield.

“The criminal investigation in relation to these warrants is ongoing and we hope to bring people good news on that in due course.

Police have shut down seven drugs dens in Mansfield and Ashfield

“But as a neighbourhood policing team, we were very concerned with the issues in relation to the addresses involved with those warrants and the potential for them to be recycled by criminal groups for further cultivation of cannabis, as well as being associated with modern-day slavery, human trafficking offences and the dangers of fires at those properties from the production of cannabis itself.

“So, following those warrants, we engaged with our colleagues at Mansfield and Ashfield councils, who fully supported our work, and we were able to move forward with premises closure notices for seven of those properties across Mansfield and Ashfield, which the courts have now moved on to full closure orders.

“As a result, those properties will now be boarded up for the next three months, ensuring those criminal groups cannot get back into them and they will be safer for the local community.

“One thing we did note about these properties is they were all owned by the same landlord.

“So a word of warning if you are a local landlord, make sure you are doing due diligence in terms of having reputable people in your properties because if you don’t, and you are allowing your properties to be used for cannabis cultivation, we will close them and you will lose access to those properties for months on end.”

For more drugs advice from the police, including how to avoid having your drink spiked and what do about drugs nuisances on your street, visit nottinghamshire.police.uk

Police shut down seven Mansfield and Ashfield drugs dens