Fight for cannabis cafe; EXCLUSIVE Owner is still trading despite raids by police.

Byline: By MIKE HORNBY

MERSEYSIDE'S first cannabis cafe is open for business.

The Amsterdam-style Tea Cafe in Liverpool is tucked away behind a bona fide cafe and, despite twice being raided by police, is still trading.

Owner Gary Youds was arrested in a raid last month but has since reopened the business in Holt Road, Kensington, and is pledging to fight any moves to close him down.

A second raid took place at the weekend and Mr Youds was locked up for 26 hours. He was arrested for posession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and has been bailed pending further police inquiries.

Mr Youds asked the council for permission to set up the cafe but was refused. He appealed and was refused again but opened up anyway.

The 35-year-old appeared in court after the first raid and, after pleading guilty to allowing his premises to be used for the taking of a controlled drug, was given a conditional discharge.

Several customers were cautioned for possession of cannabis after the first police raid.

Mr Youds has spent pounds 60,000 on his business venture through his company, The Chillin's Rooms Ltd.

Police insist he is supplying cannabis but Mr Youds said his premises were only used for taking the drug and he operated a 'zero tolerance' policy on Class A drugs and alcohol.

But he has now been served with a 28-day closure notice by Liverpool council.

The father-of-one from West Derby, said: 'I am happy to work with the police and council, allowing them inside for inspections at any time.

'We are doing nothing wrong, all we want is tolerance.

After the second raid he said: 'I wasn't expecting this kind of attention.

'I have to say the police couldn't have been nicer to me.

'But 50 officers were used in the raids - that's a lot of manpower for just one cafe.' Police are working with the city council to have the cafe closed down, but they cannot obtain an Asbo against Mr Youds because there have been no complaints from residents.

Inspector Kevin Wellens said: 'It's not that residents have reported problems associated with the running of the premises, they are concerned that something like this is there.'

Since it opened six weeks ago, the cafe has gained 400 members, all of whom must prove they are aged over 18 and must leave the premises by 10pm.

Mr Youds, a former property developer, says the Tea Cafe is his life's dream. He added: 'I have invested six years of planning and a lot of money into this venture and I am proud of what we have achieved.

'It's clean, safe and unthreatening and there is no violence or abuse of any sort. We are not here to antagonise the authorities, we just want to be left alone.

Nearby residents had mixed feelings about the cafe.

Kevin Miller, 45, who lives on Kensington, said: 'I don't care what goes on behind closed doors so long as there's no disturbance for neighbours.'

Jean McGenity, of Botanic Road, said: 'Kensington has become terrible thanks to the drugs. We need less of it, not more

It's still illegal

CANNABIS was downgraded from Class B to a Class C drug in January 2004.

Many people believe that effectively made it legal; however, the Home Office policy is clear.

A Labour spokeswoman said: 'Our position is that cannabis is an illegal and harmful drug.

'The object of re-classifying it was to reflect changing police priorities and allow them t o focus on Class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine

CAPTION(S):

OPEN AGAIN: Gary Youds is determined to keep his cannabis cafe open; Picture: TRACEY O'NEILL

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Publication:	Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England)
Date:	Apr 18, 2005
Words:	606
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