'Drugs lollies' leave sour taste

The container features a motif like a cannabis leaf

A worried Leeds mother says that a new brand of sweet called cannabis lollies should be taken off the shelves.

And she fears the green lollipops, which are sold in tubs with a cannabis leaf motif on the front, glamorises drug taking.

Angela Nichol, of New Farnley, said she was "stuck for words" when she saw a barrel full of the sweets on sale at a shop close to a school.

West Yorkshire Police say they are looking into the sale of the lollies.

Drug problem

Worried mother Angela Nichol told BBC News Online: "I went into a local shop and saw them on the counter, I was stuck for words.

"Just the wording, it actually said cannabis lollies on it (the display) and it had a picture of a cannabis leaf.

"I mean, there's a big enough drug problem as it is. These lollies are selling for 30p when ordinary lollies are about 10p, the kids are going to think they're something special.

"It's like the forbidden fruit. There's all this in the news about cannabis being downgraded, a child might eat a lolly and think cannabis tastes like this and go on to bigger things.

Community policing

"They (lollies) shouldn't be called that."

Ailsa Mayers who works for the community Neighbourhood Action in New Farnley said: "There are drug problems as it is and you don't need, even if there is no cannabis in them, inciting people or encouraging young people to buy lollies that are named cannabis."

A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said that although no complaints had been received about the sweets, the local community policing team were looking into the matter.