Police raid uncovers £20k worth of cocaine in Bury bar

The Hub on Haslam Street will face Bury Council's licensing panel this week

Police raided a bar and found £20,000 worth of cocaine and a cannabis farm set up behind a fake wall in the basement, a council report revealed.

Officers said they were acting on intelligence that drugs were being openly "sold over the bar" to customers at The Hub in Bury.

Almost a kilo of cocaine was found in the raid, the documents state.

The bar will face Bury Council's licensing panel over a permanent revocation of its licence on Thursday.

It is alleged small "deals" of the drug were behind the bar ready for sale to customers, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Noise complaint

Snap bags, scales, money and debt lists were also discovered, the papers state.

Officers said "traces of substances were found behind the bar area related to the preparation for customers".

A report of an interim licensing hearing conducted by Bury council earlier this month, said a cannabis farm, with 68 plants, was found behind a false wall in the basement of the bar on Haslam Street, a largely residential area close to Haslam Park.

Documents published prior to Thursday's hearing, include evidence from Sgt Andrew Vernon of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) who said it was "believed that drugs have been sold over the bar to patrons".

"Cocaine was found in various places within the premises including behind the bar where small deals had already been prepared for sale to patrons."

The licensing panel will also consider a complaint about noise relating to the venue.

GMP said a man has been charged with drug offences and is set to appear in court next month.