ONE of the seven people arrested during the raid on Boscombe cannabis caf 'The Dutch Experience' has appeared at Bournemouth Magistrates Court.

Auxiliary nurse Anthony Alan Fenton, of Chaldecott Gardens, Kinson, was handed a conditional discharge for six months after admitting to possession of cannabis. Fenton was found to have 21g of cannabis in his jacket pocket with a street value of £58 during the raid on the caf at Station Approach, Boscombe, on Wednesday, April 24.

Sixty police officers were involved in the raid. There were 25 people inside the premises at the time, seven of whom were arrested for drugs-related offences. Stock-port-born Fenton, 34, entered a guilty plea via duty solicitor Mike Flynn, after telling the court he refused to speak the word "guilty".

Mr Flynn, defending, said that Fenton only smoked cannabis for personal use to help ease his hypertension.

Magistrates ordered no costs but ordered that the cannabis should be destroyed.

Speaking afterwards, Fenton said: "I don't believe I've committed a crime. Basically the word 'guilty' does not enter my vocabulary. It is not related to cannabis.

"This was a waste of government, police and court's money. I thought the verdict was very fair."