Mushrooms seized under new powers

Hallucinogenic mushrooms have been reclassified as a Class A drug

Police officers in Edinburgh and Glasgow have used new legal powers to seize magic mushrooms.

Lothian and Borders Police found half a kilo of the product during raids on two shops in Southside and Tollcross.

Strathclyde officers seized mushrooms worth £6,000 after searching a house in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire.

The fungi, which contain the psychedelic chemical psilocybin, has been reclassified by the UK Government as a Class A drug.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman said that most shop owners selling psilocybin products were aware of the change in the law.

She added: "Up until recently there were a number of shops in Edinburgh that imported and sold magic mushrooms.

Hallucinogenic effect

"Following government reclassification magic mushrooms became a Class A drug and for people to possess or sell them will now be a criminal offence."

The Drugs Act 2005 closed a loophole in which fresh magic mushrooms were legal but those which were dried or prepared for use were not.

On Tuesday evening Strathclyde officers searched a house and recovered a haul of mushrooms.

A 33-year-old man will be reported to the procurator fiscal in connection with the incident.

The mushrooms are usually eaten raw or dried out and can produce a hallucinogenic effect similar to LSD.