‘Legal highs’ clampdown

THE Chronicle has come in for criticism for Friday’s coverage of Greater Manchester Police’s force-wide Operation Ramsey in a clamp down on “legal highs”.

In Oldham and surrounding districts, officers targeted several businesses to spread the word about law changes with regard to selling New Psychoactive Substances (NPS).

While our report highlighted the police campaign, the businesses felt they were wrongly put in the spotlight.

Mr Waseem Mahmood, owner of Cunningham’s has denied his store has ever sold legal highs. Nothing was found at the Henshaw Street store and officers simply gave advice about the laws about the sale of legal highs.

Waseem said: “I want to reassure people that I have never sold legal highs and don’t intend to do so.”

Mr Vikram Patel, also reiterated that his Premier store on Turf Lane, Chadderton, had never sold such products.

“We are a legitimate business and to see images of the police coming in to our shop is very distressing.

“We have done nothing wrong and I would never allow such products to be sold here. I would question why my store was even on a list of those targeted in the first place.”

Chronicle managing editor David Whaley defended the newspaper coverage and said: “The issue of legal highs is something that needs to be brought to the public’s attention.

“I hope that all shopkeepers will realise that the police are doing their best to get the message out to prevent serious issues occurring in Oldham.”