Council business tenants banned from selling 'legal highs' in Taunton

Council business tenants are to be banned from selling "legal highs" over the counter in Taunton, Somerset.

Taunton Deane councillors voted unanimously in favour of stopping the sale of the substances in any premises rented from the authority, at a meeting on Tuesday.

Councillor Federica Smith said the ongoing sale of legal highs had a "negative impact" on the community.

She added the authority had "a duty to remedy this situation".

Along with forbidding the sale of the substances from premises owned or leased by the council, it was also agreed to contact all landlords in the area to ask them to prevent their tenants from selling legal highs.

Councillors also approved a number of proposals designed to tackle anti-social behaviour associated with the substances.

Legal highs, officially known as psychoactive substances, are synthetic drugs that can be bought online and sometimes in shops.