# Police raid garage only to discover it's a cosy home for guinea pigs



## FruityBud

Embarrassed police have issued an apology to a mother after officers swooped on her house thinking she had turned it into a cannabis factory - and found an  electric heater for her two guinea pigs 'Simon' and 'Kenny'.

Six officers, in three vehicles, rushed to Pam Hardcastle's home and the 42-year-old was shocked to receive a call from her mother telling her the police were asking her to return from work.

The officers had been alerted when a police helicopter picked up a hotspot on the roof of Pam's garage and assumed it was a drug den, when in fact it was a cosy home for her loveable pets.

Pam, a primary school learning mentor, was forced to return home to Bradford after officers from West Yorkshire Police obtained a search warrant believing they had uncovered a specialist heating system designed to grow cannabis.

She said: 'The officer said they wanted me to go home. He said my garage lit up when the police helicopter was out and they believed I could be growing  cannabis.

'He said they had a warrant and they wanted to search my premises.

'It was unbelievable. My mum told them I had guinea pigs in the garage and would have a heater in there to keep them warm. But they cut a bolt off my  neighbour's gate to gain entry.

'My neighbours told me police were everywhere. Everybody was asking what I had done wrong. It is embarrassing.'

Simon and Kenny belong to Pam's ten-year-old son Jack. They have lived in her garage for three months and she had put the heater inside because she was concerned they would get cold.

She added: 'I have no criminal record. I haven't even got an unpaid bill. I told the police I was squeaky clean and they said they knew, but they wanted to look  in the garage.

When I opened it up and they saw the guinea pigs, they didn't say anything. They were in the garage two seconds and they left. People are now wondering  what I've been up to, it's like I've been branded a drug dealer.

'I have contacted a solicitor because I am concerned I might now have a criminal record. I am worried that this would come up on a CIB check if I went for another job. People think there's no smoke without fire.'

Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector Darren Brown said: 'The majority of operations of this nature are intelligence-based and often rely upon swift  action.

'Due to the location of the garage, we could not make further observations without alerting the occupants. On this occasion, it transpired that the  significant heat source coming from the property was not connected to the production of cannabis.

'Officers who attended explained the full circumstances to the occupant and  discussed any damage. I would like to apologise for the distress this may have caused. However, I would point out that these tactics are essential in tackling drugs across the district.

'I can also reassure the occupants that their details will not be kept on  police records and I will be personally visiting them to discuss any concerns  they may have.'

Pam said that a police inspector had now visited her to issue an apology in person and the police had bought a new lock for the neighbour's gate.

*hxxp://tinyurl.com/475r2zy*


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## StoneyBud

This is one of the most blatant examples of the violations of rights I've ever seen. The police thought that the fact a garage has a heater in it is sign of a drug operation? How stupid is that?

Just off the top of my head, here's a few other things it might have been:

1. A heater for a pair of pet hamsters.

2. A heater for someone who was temporarily sleeping in the garage.

3. A HID light over a crop of winter salad greens.

4. A garage apartment.

I'll tell you what I would do; I'd sue their collective butts off. I'd find the nastiest, meanest, most shark like Lawyer available and sue them for about 10 million dollars and win.

This is how close to a police state we are now. This is very, very close to the same thing the Nazis did. Searching peoples homes on a whim. How dare they!


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## Mutt

UK news report stoney...no bill of rights over there 
I have two Cavies (guinea pigs), squeeky and chip LOL
definitely more feline in personality then rodent. unlike all other rodents they have a pretty broad animal vocab.
Little known in US Cavies are a larger food source in South America then cattle LOL


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## WeedHopper

Im glad it was the UK cause I was really getting pissed. It is my understanding that that alone is not enough to get a warrent in the US. Freaken Morons!!!!


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## StoneyBud

Mutt said:
			
		

> UK news report stoney...no bill of rights over there
> I have two Cavies (guinea pigs), squeeky and chip LOL
> definitely more feline in personality then rodent. unlike all other rodents they have a pretty broad animal vocab.
> Little known in US Cavies are a larger food source in South America then cattle LOL


 
Thanks Mutt! I didn't see where it was the UK. Some of the verbiage led me to think it tho'.

Yeah, I just watched a "Bizzare Foods" show that showed the Guinea pigs (also called cuy, cuye, cuyi, curí), being cooked and eaten. Looked pretty good to me!

Watch the pygmy around your pets man! When he gets high, he'll eat anything! :hubba:


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## Mutt

> Thanks Mutt! I didn't see where it was the UK


I had the same reaction as you...how in the heck are they going to justify that. Heat source being probable cause?!?!?! ...until I clicked the link LOL
With that kind of law...my potbelly stove in the workshop would mean I could get raided  I'm sure our govt. will "adopt" it


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## ozzydiodude

:evil: Good thing I don't live over there. I would be slipping into everybody's garage and hooking up heaters to drive :cop: crazy


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## Jericho

Haha, Should sort out a prank on the cops and rally up a load of stoners to stick some heaters in there garage for a month. See what the cops do then.


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## TexasMonster

I have really missed my MJ news. I am so glad to see you still providing it for us. Thank You.


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## warfish

Maybe they thought they had found Hamster Lewis's place only to be mistaken that is was Guinea pigs instead...


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## 2Dog

I know!  maybe she is growing the weed inside of the warm piggies....Or maybe I have been watching too much fringe..


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## Drone69

It`s happening more than people realise over here.

If you think that this is bad how about this.

We don`t even have the right to remain silent when arrested in England, haven`t had for many years now.

@Jericho - That`s a brilliant idea.


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## TexasMonster

Drone69 said:
			
		

> It`s happening more than people realise over here.
> 
> If you think that this is bad how about this.
> 
> We don`t even have the right to remain silent when arrested in England, haven`t had for many years now.
> 
> @Jericho - That`s a brilliant idea.


Dont feel bad partner, we are headed that way ourselves.


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## cubby

I think the worst part is that they (LEO) don't put this much energy and resources into fighting crimes that actualy harm the general public.


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## The New Girl

I'm in the NE and I have to shovel snow back onto the roof of my house to replace it over my heated pot growing attic!!! LOL
I would try a guinea pig on the barbi though, mmmm, sounds delicious with some hamster sauce


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## TexasMonster

The New Girl said:
			
		

> hamster sauce


 :holysheep:


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## Drone69

cubby said:
			
		

> I think the worst part is that they (LEO) don't put this much energy and resources into fighting crimes that actualy harm the general public.



I`ve been saying the same thing for years, something anyone who knows me is all too aware of.


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