Toby Perkins MP in town today.

[Fly]

Spotted by Our_Lass outside the Vic Centre on Knifesmithgate on a photo shoot.
We don't know why, Cllr Slack ??

[Slacker]

Don't know, just back from my hols. Toby is usually busy locally when he's back from London

[Fly]

Cheers Andy 

[Fly]

Here's why. It's in this weeks DT. Legal Highs being sold in town centre. I must admit, most of the article is 100% true.
The shop, Reefer, is almost opposite the taxi rank I use the most.

Are ‘legal highs’ making Chesterfield town centre a no-go zone?
http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/grassroots/are-legal-highs-making-chesterfield-town-centre-a-no-go-zone-1-6681042

[Fly]

Links in with this incident I posted about recently. The young lad found collapsed in the jitty opposite Reefer :-(
http://chesterfieldonline.org/index.php/topic,3870.msg31166.html#msg31166

[therealjr]

If these things all say 'not for human consumption' on them what purpose are they actually supposed to serve? Or are the manufacturers just covering their @rses?

[Old Cruser]

Frankly Chesterfield can do without this, there enough people out there using drugs as it is, selling them in the town centre is obviously going to attract the users and they won't always wait for their fix so an ally or quiet spot in Chesterfield will be used.

Some users will also steal to fund their habit and it's not always big stuff but can be for example cheese. What they do they is go door knocking to sell it cheap.
They don't always stick just to stealing from shops etc They steal from their families as well. I have known precious heirloom jewelry being stolen - all to feed their habit.   

Anyone found using a product which clearly states 'Not for Human Consumption' should be prosecuted.
Surly this has to be illegal and needs to stay that way for anyone selling it who knows that it 'will' be used for human consumption.

There has to be a loophole there in so much as it is being made and sold with the intents of selling it for humans to use - but they try and cover themselves by putting on the packaging that it isn't.

Trading Standards? or not?

I have seen what it can do to families, breaks them apart.
Get rid of the shop.
Make all drugs illegal

[Fly]

Looks like the council and police are taking action against the 'rowdy crowd'.

Police In Chesterfield Granted Additional Powers
http://www.chesterfieldpost.co.uk/public_services/police_news/police_00000699.html

[therealjr]

I have to admit this one had me puzzled. The police need a NEW power to move people on? Strikes me as political
Posturing ahead of an election

[Stuart]

If the council hadn't fallen over themselves to grant so many liquor licenses for "conversions" in the town, especially in the Corporation Street area, then this problem would have been far less prevalent.

And yes, they could have refused - the grounds for refusal under proliferation have always been there, as I understand it.

[Fly]

The Reefer shop is about where the 'E' of Knifesmithgate is. Coincidence 
Certainley looks like they are pinpointing on the area.

http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/grassroots/huge-swathe-of-chesterfield-town-centre-under-six-month-crime-blitz-1-6752102

[Fly]

Got an email from Toby Perkins office today. Just a circular. Nothing personal, but in it he does mention Knifesmithgate.

Working for safer communities.
·   No one should be frightened to walk to work or support their local high street stores.  But traders on Knifesmithgate have said that so called ‘legal highs’ are creating a no-go zone.  Shops such as Reefer in the town centre have been mocking the law by acquiring and distributing new chemical substances quicker than Parliament can act to ban them.  I think it is time for government to give greater powers to local authorities and local police to rid our high streets of this blight.  Just as they can deal with anti-social tenants, so they should also have the power to curb the activities of anti-social retailers. I’ll keep the fight going.  I therefore called a debate in Parliament this month to call for just this change.  You can watch the debate here(1), read a transcript here(2) and read my article for Politics Home on the subject here(3).

Link (1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house-of-commons-28106320
Looked about as busy as the parliament pic on the autism issue posted by Pete the other day 
Link (2) http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2014-07-01a.192.1&s=speaker%3A24845
Link (3) http://centrallobby.politicshome.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/toby-perkins-mp-government-woefully-inadequate-in-combating-legal-highs/