Lambeth Council Communications Centre
Date: 23 February 2005
Ref:
Press Statement
Cannabis Festival
While Lambeth Council supports freedom of speech and the right to take part
in a legitimate campaign, the council cannot condone illegal activities
such as cannabis use and drug pushing - both of which have taken place at a
previous festival held by the Cannabis Coalition. Indeed council officers
monitoring the event in the past were approached by drug dealers who
offered them drugs.
Brockwell Park is one of our best-used and well-loved parks and is popular
with families. When the festival has taken place before we have received
numerous complaints from local people who have been harassed by drug
dealers and we have received many reports of people taking drugs. These
issued have been raised with the event organisers. We do not feel confident
that the Cannabis Coalition will be able to prevent such incidents occuring
again.
We have a duty to ensure that any event taking place in the borough is not
being used to support illegal activity - which drug dealing and drug use
clearly is. Similarly we have a duty to do all we can to make sure that
residents can go about their daily lives safe in the knowledge that they
will not suffer undue harassment. It is for these reasons that we have
refused the Cannabis Coalition permission to hold their event in Brockwell
Park.
Ends
Issued by the Communications Centre
London Borough of Lambeth
Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
Brixton SW2 1RW
Tel 0207 926 1000
Fax 0207 926 2839
www.lambeth.gov.uk
