THE DISCOVERY of a suspected drug den in a hedge at a Petersfield school has prompted police to ask for help identifying trouble hot spots in the town.

Police officers will be visiting the Love Lane area more often after pupils at Herne Junior School found the hideaway on Friday, May 21.

Petersfield Police Sergeant Phil Shore said: “As this was so close to the school, it is clearly of real concern.

“Officers went to the Love Lane playing fields next to the school, and while they were there, they chatted with youngsters using the skateboard park.

“There hasn’t been any problems there for a long time, and the skatepark has a good reputation and is very popular, but we will be patrolling the Love Lane area more often now.

“And we will be pro-active in dealing with anyone we find carrying or using drugs.

“It’s not a trouble spot as far as we know, there hasn’t even been noise complaints.

“But about 18 months ago we arrested and charged someone there.

“And in the past year there has only been two complaints.

“There is no intelligence to suggest there are problems there, but if there are, I would be disappointed if people didn’t let us know.

“The neighbourhood police team tasking group meets every two months to set out a programme for the following eight weeks.

“So if we know people are concerned about an area, or an issue, we can set out our priorities accordingly.

“We can address the problems, but only if we know about them.”

The den was in the hedge between the school playing field and the skateboard park in Love Lane.

Pupils playing in the field found it; apparently on the ground were plastic bags and dog-ends of hand rolled cigarettes, thought to be the remains of cannabis cigarettes.

There is a metal fence on the skateboard park side of the thick hedge, and it’s thought those using the den, climbed it and burrowed out the hideaway in the hedge.

Petersfield police have since stepped up patrols in Love Lane, the playing fields, around the skatepark and football club, and along the school hedge line.

To contact Sergeant Shore e-mail: [email protected]