Forfar campaigners are claiming victory in the fight against a so-called legal highs shop being set up in the town.
In the wake of a near 4,000-signature petition being presented to the area’s MSP protesting over the prospect of a head shop moving into a former potato merchants on North Street, the group leading the fight say the premises has been cleared.
Fury erupted when plans emerged for the shop on the busy street.
The planned premises is on one of the main routes to Forfar Academy and adjacent to a nightclub.
A Facebook page set up to oppose the bid drew massive support and town minister, the Rev Dr Karen Fenwick, said she was ready to mobilise “an army of thousands” against any shop offering New Psychoactive Substances (NPS).
A former research scientist and chaplain to Forfar schools, she said the idea of the substances being sold over the counter to kids making their way to the town secondary “beggared belief”.
She warned: “We will ensure that there will always be somebody outside this shop if it opens its doors.”
Forfar Against Legal Highs group figures Adele Speirs, Nikki Leasley and Bobbi Murray said they were delighted the idea now appears to have been dumped after Mr Don took delivery of the petition.
They said the shop appeared to have been stocked but has now been emptied.
The owners and the proposed tenant have not commented on the matter.
Adele said: “There was a really strong view against it opening, so I set up the Facebook page and it received a lot of attention. We started an online petition first, then one in Forfar for people to actually sign.”
Adele added: “There have been a lot of stories in the press about kids taking legal highs and having really bad reactions, so it was concerning to hear the shop was aiming to open at 8am.
“After we handed the petition over to Mr Don it was then a waiting game and I was so happy when I saw the shop was empty.”
Last month the UK Government imposed a temporary ban on five legal highs, including an alternative to cocaine.
Photo by Angus Pictures