North west news update 26 July 2023: Drugs, alcohol and cigarettes seized during raids

Digital reporter Hannah Bridgeman with today's top north west news headline and weather

Transcript

00:00 I'm Hannah Bridgman and here are your headlines for today.

00:03 Thousands of illegal cigarettes, hundreds of prohibited vapes and bottles of illicit alcohol

00:08 were seized during raids in Preston.

00:11 Forty officers and staff from nine agencies, including Lancashire Trading Standards and

00:16 Preston City Council Licensing, took part in Operation Centorium.

00:21 The operation was launched to disrupt illegal activity, associated antisocial behaviour

00:26 and issues which cause problems for the community.

00:31 Plans to convert Blackpool's former Odeon Cinema into a self-storage facility have now

00:36 been submitted to the council.

00:39 The scheme also proposes creating three food and drink outlets at the front of the building.

00:45 Indicative computerised images depict brands including Nando's, Subway and Gregg's, although

00:50 no tenants have been confirmed just yet.

00:55 Yorkshire Street in Burnley is set to be closed until the end of August as works continue

01:01 on the Town to Turf redevelopment scheme.

01:04 The work is part of the £6 million Town to Turf regeneration plan designed to improve

01:09 links between Burnley Town Centre and Turf Mall.

01:12 Naturally the ongoing work has led to long traffic delays in a busy area of Town Centre,

01:17 with many Burnley residents blasting the cost of the scheme.

01:21 Work was due to be completed in time for the start of the new Premier League season.

01:26 A Wigan man caught carrying a kitchen knife has been given a suspended prison sentence.

01:31 Lewis Hare, 25, of Kittgreen Road, Kittgreen, pleaded guilty to carrying the weapon on Atherton

01:37 Road on July 27.

01:39 He also admitted having Class C drug diazepam, failing to provide a saliva sample to police

01:44 for drug testing and not attending court while on bail.

01:48 Wigan justices imposed a four-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered

01:53 Hare to attend drug treatment and 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

01:59 Two men have been charged with drug supply offences after police stopped a vehicle on

02:04 the M6 near Kendal.

02:06 Police seized 4kg of cannabis with a potential street value of £40,000.

02:13 Both men appeared before Barrow's Magistrates Court yesterday on July 24 and were charged

02:19 with possession with intent to supply cannabis.

02:22 Today's weather is a few light showers first thing but otherwise a dry day for many with

02:27 bright or sunny intervals and feeling a little bit warmer.

02:31 Cloud and rain are arriving this evening, turning heavy and persistent for a time, becoming

02:36 breezier with maximum temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.

02:39 Have a great day.

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