Page 7 - IAV Digital Magazine #616

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Pensioners Turned The Heating Up So Much Police Thought It Was A Cannabis Farm
Luke Alsford
An elderly couple’s house was mistakenly raided by police who thought it was a cannabis farm – because it was so hot.
Officers stormed into the home of Barry, 80, and Mavis Lovelock, 78, while they were eating their breakfast on March 15.
The raid was triggered by a thermal helicopter camera, which thought their gas fire-heated property was a drugs den.
Nine officers charged upstairs searching for cannabis plants and the strong lamps which are used to grow them.
Mortified cops then had to
admit their tip-off had been ‘not fully accurate’.
The cause of the mistaken raid was the couple’s two gas fires, which they kept 24/7 during the colder months.
Leicestershire Police have apologised and said they had raided a separate property in Newfoundpool, Leicester, and found a large cannabis farm with 79 plants.
Mavis, who has lived there since 1978, told the
BBC that she could “not stop shaking” afterwards.
‘Somebody shouted back to Barry, “stand clear”.
‘They just rammed the door in. It was awful. They
knocked the gate at the back in and all.
‘It was terrifying and I said to them, “what the devil do you think you’re doing?” I said, “there’s two pension- ers here”, and they just stood there.’
She added: ‘They told us the camera on the helicop- ter had noticed our roof glowing white but that was just because we have the heating on all of the time.
‘People of our age feel the cold so we need the heat- ing on.’
The couple, who celebrat- ed their Golden Wedding anniversary last year, were even shown a warrant with their house number on it, which Mavis said the arrest warrant was from February 18.
Leicestershire Police have since said they would reim- burse the Lovelock’s for any damage resulting from the raid.
The couple have been asked to get quotes on how much it will cost to replace the couple’s front door and back gate, the Lovelock’s said.
The couple have been left bitterly upset after the inci- dent.
Barry said: ‘Mavis has been left really shook up, and struggling to sleep.
After most of the officers
left, and they were only here for four or five min- utes, two stayed behind and were apologetic. One female PC was quite upset.
‘A rapid response repair came round and fixed the front door, but told us not to use it until it’s been properly replaced.’
A spokesman for Leicestershire Police con- firmed that officers execut- ed two warrants at proper- ties in Leicester, based on information received relat- ed to the production of cannabis.
The force would not elabo- rate on where the intelli- gence came from for ‘oper- ational reasons’.
The spokesman added: ‘Due diligence was com- pleted prior to the enforce- ment taking place.
‘However, the force acknowledges that the information was not fully accurate and no plants were found inside.
‘Officers have spoken to the residents living at that address regarding the inci- dent to apologise, provide reassurance and explain why the lawfully-executed warrant took place.
‘
At the other property, 79 cannabis plants were seized. No-one was arrest- ed and an investigation is continuing.’
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine