Location of opium poppy fields to remain secret
THE Government has insisted that the location of dozens of Hampshire fields used to grow the raw materials for heroin must stay secret - to stop people stealing the controversial crop.
The Home Office rejected a Freedom of Information request lodged by the Daily Echo to find out the precise locations of 26 sites in the county used to cultivate opium poppies for medicinal use last year.
The poppies, from which the illegal Class A drug heroin is derived, are usedto produce legal morphine, which is used by the NHS to relieve pain.
In February, the Daily Echo revealed that Hampshire was the UK's capital for opium production, with the county's 2007 crop, taking up 1,238 hectares, almost as large as the rest of the UK's put together.
By comparison, the second biggest crop, in Lincolnshire, was just 445 hectares in size.
After reporting the existence of the 26 secret sites for the first time, following a Parliamentary written answer by Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker, the Daily Echo asked for a detailed list of their locations, but the Home Office has revealed it is "not obliged" to reveal the information.
A response to the FOI request, written by a Home Office official, said the department had decided it was in the public interest to keep the information under wraps because disclosure "would be likely to prejudice the prevention of crime".
He explained: "In view of the nature of the crop being cultivated, disclosing precise details of the growing sites could encourage the commission of crime through trespass and pilferage of the crop."
Anyone can grow opium poppies because the process is not controlled by the Misuse of Drugs legislation, but any processing of the plant to extract narcotic material is controlled and can only be carried out under licence.
The farmers involved are not obliged to inform local authorities of the nature of their crop but are advised to present a letter sent to them by the Home Office to local police.
12:00pm Monday 5th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: hulla, baloo on 1:05pm Mon 5 May 08
Will hardly remain a secret when the crop starts to grow.
Will hardly remain a secret when the crop starts to grow.
Posted by: paul b on 1:42pm Mon 5 May 08
The echo should be ashamed of themselves, why publish a story, i would of never known about it, now i do
The echo should be ashamed of themselves, why publish a story, i would of never known about it, now i do
Posted by: Alex, soton on 1:54pm Mon 5 May 08
High on a hill somwhere !
High on a hill somwhere !
Posted by: Alex, soton on 1:55pm Mon 5 May 08
I left the e out of somewhere - that is a different drug !!!
I left the e out of somewhere - that is a different drug !!!
Posted by: hulla, baloo on 1:59pm Mon 5 May 08
[quote][bold]paul b[/bold] wrote:
The echo should be ashamed of themselves, why publish a story, i would of never known about it, now i do[/quote] Reporting news, which a newspaper does.
No doubt you would have complained if it were not reported.
paul b wrote:
The echo should be ashamed of themselves, why publish a story, i would of never known about it, now i do
Reporting news, which a newspaper does.
No doubt you would have complained if it were not reported.
Posted by: jordan, Huntington W.V on 2:08pm Mon 5 May 08
this is pitiful now were just going to keep speading the news!:{
this is pitiful now were just going to keep speading the news!:{
Posted by: Tony, Waterlooville on 4:05pm Mon 5 May 08
By necessity, these crops are grown in very rural areas. Needless to say none of them are in the south of Hampshire where the vast majority of the abusers live.
By necessity, these crops are grown in very rural areas. Needless to say none of them are in the south of Hampshire where the vast majority of the abusers live.
Posted by: anita field, southampton on 6:12pm Mon 5 May 08
i just found the field man, its far out!
i just found the field man, its far out!
Posted by: cupid stunt, southampton on 7:47pm Mon 5 May 08
[quote][bold]Tony[/bold] wrote:
By necessity, these crops are grown in very rural areas. Needless to say none of them are in the south of Hampshire where the vast majority of the abusers live.[/quote] South-East hampshire me thinks?
Tony wrote:
By necessity, these crops are grown in very rural areas. Needless to say none of them are in the south of Hampshire where the vast majority of the abusers live.
South-East hampshire me thinks?
Posted by: farmer HAPPY, hampshire on 9:50pm Mon 5 May 08
people have been stopping to admire the poppies in the fields, do they think we only grow them to make the country pretty. if you did nick them buy the time you have made the heroin you would have gone cold turkey and got over the addiction
people have been stopping to admire the poppies in the fields, do they think we only grow them to make the country pretty. if you did nick them buy the time you have made the heroin you would have gone cold turkey and got over the addiction
Posted by: BobT8 on 10:54pm Mon 5 May 08
Just a suggestion - Why not buy the opium from Afghan farmers to give them a legitimate living, and use the fields in England to grow wheat and other crops which will help to keep food prices down.
Just a suggestion - Why not buy the opium from Afghan farmers to give them a legitimate living, and use the fields in England to grow wheat and other crops which will help to keep food prices down.
Posted by: crash, home on 4:02am Tue 6 May 08
[quote][bold]BobT8[/bold] wrote:
Just a suggestion - Why not buy the opium from Afghan farmers to give them a legitimate living, and use the fields in England to grow wheat and other crops which will help to keep food prices down.[/quote] now thats what i call fair trade..
BobT8 wrote:
Just a suggestion - Why not buy the opium from Afghan farmers to give them a legitimate living, and use the fields in England to grow wheat and other crops which will help to keep food prices down.
now thats what i call fair trade..
Posted by: SittingMoose,Shaman, Horrid Naww Yawwk , USA. on 4:36pm Fri 9 May 08
Good God ! What a Country !! My pain of a degenerative disease would so be diminished by
such a blessed buffer .....Pooh on the 'Revolution' I wanna go back Home to my
GrandDads' in Whales.....So greatly suffer the
weak and pained in this cruel and un-forgiv'n
Land of vile Tort and State "intractable pain treatment acts" 'law.'
Good God ! What a Country !! My pain of a degenerative disease would so be diminished by
such a blessed buffer .....Pooh on the 'Revolution' I wanna go back Home to my
GrandDads' in Whales.....So greatly suffer the
weak and pained in this cruel and un-forgiv'n
Land of vile Tort and State "intractable pain treatment acts" 'law.'
Posted by: morpheous, A33 on 10:51am Mon 23 Jun 08
just of the a33 between basingstoke and reading google earth
just of the a33 between basingstoke and reading google earth
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