The former County Times offices in the centre of Welshpool have been raided for the second time this year.
The former office off Broad Street was raided this afternoon (September 3) by Dyfed-Powys Police in what is suspected to be related to drugs for the second time this year.
Unconfirmed reports for the scene suggest the building was being raided for drugs only a few months since Dyfed-Powys Police discovered a drug farm at the site.
The latest incident comes only a day after the former Savers shop on Broad Street was also found to contain a large-scale cannabis farm. Police confirmed this raid led to the arrest of one individual who witnesses spotted being pursued on foot by officers.
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According to people at the scene it has been described as the “same situation” as was seen at the beginning of the year in the building.
Three police vehicles could be seen parked along Broad Street, as well as a number of utility company trucks, with personnel in uniforms entering and exiting the alleyway leading down to the former County Times office.
One local bystander on the scene said: "It's so strange that all these incidents keep happening in a quiet little town like Welshpool."
Prior to this incident, which remains unconfirmed, there have already been four raids on large scale drug farms in Welshpool since the start of the year - of which three were in the town centre. That has today led the mayor, Phil Owen, to call for the empty buildings in the town to be put to use as they are currently the target of “abhorrent people”.
“This is partly a consequence of property owners and businesses who allow buildings to stand empty, unused and unsecure,” said Cllr Owen.
“Whilst Welshpool is not alone in having such buildings, its geographical location and image as a 'sleepy market town' seems to have attracted the unwanted attention of these abhorrent people.”
Dyfed-Powys Police have been contacted by the County Times but have so far not responded to our requests for a comment.
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