Last legal highs shop closed in Lincoln

The last shop selling so-called legal highs in Lincoln has closed its doors after being served with a community protection notice by police and city council enforcement officers.

Lincolnshire Police and City of Lincoln Council officers served the notice to Head Candy, on Melville Street at around 4.30pm on Thursday, March 5.

Signs have been displayed in the windows of the now empty shop.

The business was ordered to remove all stock within 48 hours, and was given three weeks to appeal against the notice.

If the business continues to sell within the three week period, it will be committing an offence. It will only be allowed to reopen if an appeal against the notice is won.

Message from the management in the shop window.

Earlier this year, the Marleys legal highs shop on Lincoln High Street closed following growing pressure from councils and partner agencies. A number of products had previously been seized in police raids.

On February 24, Lincoln made history by becoming the first city in the UK to ban public consumption of legal highs. A new Public Space Protection Order will come into force on April 1, 2015.

Sam Barstow, City of Lincoln Council’s Service Manager for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour, said: “City of Lincoln Council and Lincolnshire Police served a Community Protection Notice on Head Candy yesterday afternoon (Thursday, March 5).

“This notice informed the retailer they must immediately cease the sale of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) – more commonly known as ‘legal highs’ – and they have been given 48 hours to remove the stock from the premises.

“They have three weeks in which they can appeal the notice, but if they continue to sell the products during this time it will be an offence.”