Man, 37, arrested after Whitley Bay residents and businesses evacuated by police
Northumbria Police were alerted to a suspected cannabis farm at a premises on Station Road at 8am today.
by Owen Younger · ChronicleLiveA police incident in Whitley Bay has seen a 37-year-old man be arrested and buildings on Station Road be evacuated. Northumbria Police were alerted to a suspected cannabis farm at a premises on Station Road at 8am today.
Emergency services attended the scene, and evacuated several businesses and residents on the street, as a precautionary measure. The man was arrested on suspicion of the production of a Class B drug, and he remains in custody as police enquiries continue at this time.
Those who were evacuated have since been permitted to return to their properties. The owner of both Pranzo Trattoria and Bottega Pranzo, two Italian eateries on Station Road, posted this message on Facebook: "Due to unforeseen circumstances and an emergency situation on Station Road, we have been advised by police to evacuate and so will not be open today in the Restaurant or Focacceria."
A cafe in the area, Horticulture Coastal, posted this on Facebook: "Completely out of control but sadly closed today! Due to a major police incident on Station Road concerning an unknown device half way up the street, for everyone's safety, they have been evacuating the area and the residents.
"We will keep you informed if we can manage to open today but currently looking unlikely. Thanks or your patience and stay safe folks."
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "At around 8am today (Sunday), we received a report of a suspected cannabis farm at a premises in the Station Road area of Whitley Bay in North Tyneside. Emergency services attended and, as a precautionary measure, a number of businesses and residents were evacuated.
"A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of the production of a Class B drug. He remains in police custody while enquiries are ongoing. Those evacuated have since been allowed to return to their properties."
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Court & Crime community
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
Join our County Durham community
Join our Great North Run community