BONG SHOP VOWS TO CARRY ON

[Alfa]

BONG SHOP VOWS TO CARRY ON


A shopkeeper in New Addington has enraged residents and parents by openly advertising the sale of magic mushrooms and cannabis paraphernalia opposite a primary school.


Despite the fact Des Musgrove's shop Only Smoking advertises equipment for smoking cannabis council officials say they can not act because he is not breaking the law.


The shop is just 20 yards from Rowdown Primary School in Calley Down Crescent, but Mr Musgrove denies the business is in an inappropriate location for selling his wares.


On a sign in his shop window, goods such as bongs, weed bags, grinders, Rizlas, magic mushrooms, pipes and poppers are advertised against a background pattern of cannabis plants.


But Mr Musgrove says: "When magic mushrooms become illegal when the law changes in July, I'll stop selling them, but for now I'm not doing anything illegal."


Currently it is not illegal to possess raw magic mushrooms, which contain powerful hallucinogenic properties, but when prepared they become a class A drug.


However, changes to legislation in July will see magic mushrooms automatically re-categorised as a class C drug.


Croydon Council confirmed it has received a number of complaints from residents and parents of pupils at the school.