Bags of Cannabis Found Near Shepherd's Bush Green Playground
Criminals also hiding knives under children's roundabout
Cannabis seized by Shepherd's Bush Police. Picture: MPSShepherdBush
July 12, 2022
Bags of cannabis have been found near a children’s playground on Shepherd’s Bush Green. Criminals are also stashing knives under playground roundabouts. The Met Police team for Shepherd’s Bush said officers found cannabis stashed in a carrier bag on Wednesday 6 July.
Pictures shared by the team show a plastic bag was found tied to a fence next to one of the play areas at the green. They discovered more than 30 much smaller, sealable bags containing cannabis inside the larger one.
The team tweeted , “Ward officers attended Shepherds Bush Common today and searched the children’s playground. Officers noticed a plastic bag close to the park. Officer opened the bag in which 39 individual bags of cannabis was found inside. “
There has been no suggestion that any arrests have been made relating to the discovery so far. In separate cases, council officers have discovered knives in kids’ playgrounds with knives and drugs stashed under children’s swings, taped to roundabouts and slides, and even inside lampposts and brickwork.
The drugs seized by police. Picture: MPSShepherdBush
Officers have been carrying out routine checks under roundabouts and in bushes across Hammersmith and Fulham in search of drugs and weapons. Hammersmith and Fulham Council hired a 72-staff crime team last year to tackle anti-social behaviour after cuts to police funding.
One law enforcement officer told BBC London earlier this year that they sometimes find knives stuck under play equipment. The team is the first of its kind and discovered a large kitchen knife and baton on the White City Estate in February.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council is investing over £5 million in CCTV cameras over the next year to boost public safety. The authority’s CCTV cameras helped teams uncover five knives from the streets in March.
Law Enforcement Team officer Ian Baron previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service “Playgrounds are an ideal spot. We look in everything just to check. Magnets can be attached on roundabouts or swings. Inside lampposts. They will do anything.”
Met Police Sergeant Seb Goulding said, “We are usually making it more difficult for people to use [weapons or drugs]. Drug dealers quite rarely have all their stuff on them. They are going to have it in a location like this where there are [hiding places].
“The neighbourhood teams have done a lot of work here. Hammersmith and Fulham is a very safe place to live and work. We have seen a reduction in offences.”
The Met Police was contacted for further comment on its latest drugs find.
Hannah Neary - Local Democracy Reporter