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‘Legal highs’ are taken off shelves
POTENTIALLY-fatal products have been forced off the shelves of a Maidstone shop, after a cross- county action by Kent Trading Standards. More than 800 “legal highs”were
seized at five Kent branches of UK Skunkworks and have been for- feited after court action. Fifty samples were seized and a further 149 suspended from sale at the Maidstone shop in Mill Street, with similar quantities taken from premises in Gravesend, Canterbury, Ashford and Sheerness. UKSkunkworks claims to be “the
UK's premier one-stop shop for lifestyle accessories, smoking para- phernalia and adult fun”. The substances – sold as bath salts
or plant food and described as “not fit for human consumption” – pro- duce similar effects to illegal drugs, such as cocaine and ecstasy. Because they are not sold for human consumption, they are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. In a court case before Dartford magistrates,Trading Standards con-
tested that the stores were aware they would be consumed. Magistrates confirmed that they
were satisfied that the products were unsafe and that therewere de- ficiencies in their labelling. KCCTrading StandardsManager Richard Strawson said:“We are de- lighted with this decision. UK Skunkworks did not oppose our ap- plication and the forfeiture order was made.We are pleased that the court has agreed with our view that these products are not safe.” Similar decisions involving non- Skunkworks premises have been taken recently by magistrates in Maidstone and Canterbury. The products fall under the Gen-
eral Product Safety Regulations 2005, which prohibit any unsafe product from being supplied. Mr Strawson said: “Three people
have died in Kent as a result of tak- ing these products, and across the nation they were linked to the deaths of 68 people in 2012.” More than 2,000 dangerous sub- stances havenowbeen permanently removed from circulation.
GROVE GREEN
Maidstone Council leader Cllr Annabelle Blackmore (far right) opens the Mote Park route with Mote Park Fellowship volunteers, RunKent representatives and local runners.
Park route to boost fitness
WALKERS, joggers and seasoned runners canmake the most of Mote Park after the installation of a Run England marked route by park volunteers. The 5km route starts and ends at the café, taking runners on an undu-
lating route past Mote House, thewaterfall, the boat house and the lake, offering beautiful views across the park. RunKent aims to get more people running through a network of be- ginner-friendly running groups. It also works with land owners to install safe, marked and measured running routes, such as this one in Mote Park. Residents can find out more about local running groups and other marked routes at
www.kentsport.org/run
Flats plan in roof Bid to fell tree
AN additional storey could be built within a mansard roof at Bishops Terrace, Bishops Way, Maidstone to create 14 flats. The vacant three-storey office
block already has planning con- sent for residential use. The planning application,
which will be determined by Maidstone Council, would consist of nine two-bedroom and five one-bedroom flats.
APROPOSAL has been submitted to fell a protected swamp cypress tree at 54 Valley Drive, Loose. A supporting statement said:
“The tree would easily impact half of the length of the resi- dence if it fell. In windy condi- tions the tree sways very dangerously and sheds about 5% of its branches each time.” Maidstone Council will deter- mine the application.
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