Criminal compost put to good use

The once spoiled soil comes from a number of cannabis farms in the area, but particularly a large operation discovered at the Railway Hotel in Evesham in October last year, where it was being used to grow £60,000 worth of plants.

Now the thousands of pounds worth of compost has been put to good use and is the base of a new garden developed at South Worcestershire College in Davies Road, Evesham.

Angela Stanley, head of the Acquired Brain Injury Education Service at the college, which created the garden, said they were delighted with the donation from the West Mercia Police.

"Earlier this year we had a visit from David Shortell, our local police officer, who donated masses of free compost that had been removed as part of drugs raid.

"I’m pleased to say our charity and our clients have benefited from this as we have been developing a community garden for our clients who access our centre.

"Many of these clients do not have gardens or outdoor space to enjoy at home and now they are able to access a great garden area when they are here at the centre.

"We received a grant to help us develop the garden and have been working on it with a horticultural teacher, local volunteers and our clients all year. It is now coming together and looking quite impressive."

The green fingered folk behind the garden officially opened the space on Friday, June 27 with a garden party and some cream teas, also attended by donor constable Shortell.

"It mostly came from the Railway Hotel, that was the big one," said constable Shortell, the local safer neighbourhood officer for Evesham.

"There were also other raids in Wyre Piddle. We donated more than 100 bags of compost, worth £25 a bag. It's easily over £2,500.

"We have done the same at other places. It was really nice to give to the Acquired Brain Injury Education Service. They said to me during the garden party it made them feel like an able bodied person again, that made it all worth it and the garden was very impressive."