Cannabis cafe boss fights closure

Liverpool City Council say the café will be closed on Friday

The owner of Liverpool's first cannabis cafe says he will fight council plans to close the premises down on Friday.

Liverpool City Council say the Tea Cafe on Holt Road, Kensington, must close as it does not have planning permission.

Owner Gary Youds, 35, says the cafe is a place for cannabis smokers to socialise and he has found a lot of support from local residents.

The council said in a statement they had not granted planning permission "on the grounds of noise and disturbance."

I don't want to be a freedom fighter, I'm a businessman Gary Youds

"We considered this purely on planning grounds as the planning inspector thought that in a residential area it may disturb the neighbours," the statement said.

"An appeal by Mr Youds was also turned down.

"We served an enforcement notice instructing them to close, which runs out this Friday.

"Mr Youds does have the right to appeal this decision. But if he doesn't appeal and continues trading we will take this matter to court." Mr Youds told the BBC: "I don't want to be a freedom fighter, I'm a businessman.

"I would love to stay open but I don't want to cause any trouble.

"I just want to be left alone to open a business. And if the police don't put me in prison I will come here and open up every day."

A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said the cafe had been raided twice, cannabis had been seized and arrests made.