Council staff got more than they bargained for when they seized an abandoned car in Ventnor and came across a bag inside containing cannabis, prescription medication and other drug-related paraphernalia.
The unexpected find was made following parking enforcement undertaken at Wheelers Bay car park.
It was a council environment officer who first raised the alarm after he observed several vehicles parked at Wheelers Bay car park he suspected of being in breach of the 24-hour maximum waiting restriction.
Alerting colleagues in parking enforcement, further investigations were made resulting in a number of penalty notices being issued. Additionally, 2 vehicles identified as ‘persistent offenders’ were seized.
Councillor Phil Jordan, Cabinet member for highways and infrastructure, said the operation had not only succeeded in removing a so-called persistent evader from the car park, but taken a quantity of illegal drugs off the Island’s streets. He said:
“This emphasises the terrific service to the community undertaken by our environment and civil enforcement officers on the street and is an example of teamwork between council departments, our contractor and external agencies of which we are rightly proud.”
The drugs discovery was reported to Police and investigations are continuing.
Likely over 50% of cars in the town have bags of ‘gear’.
I have raised many an alarm about parking infringements but strangely didn’t manage to raise the parking enforcement team like the environment officer did.
There must be a hotline.
Well done anyhow.
Can they do a crackdown on the amount of roadworks and temp traffic lights in Ventnor as well?
DRUGS? IN VENTNOR? Well, there’s a surprise!
The whole island is awash with drugs, every town in England is too. Unless the source is tackled they are hear to stay.
here
How come your comment pointing out a spelling error is allowed to stay, yet mine are usually deleted? – Strange!
So someone is going to go back to the car park to find no car and no stash !! Ha! Ha!!
Plenty of abandoned cars in Ryde, can they do the same. Parked in the road in a state of disrepair. No tax or MOT.
Don’t quite see how this emphasises the ‘terrific service’ to the community? The car had overstayed the went to remove and they found drugs!