Children are arriving at school smelling of cannabis after walking past people dealing drugs in the morning, a teacher has claimed.

Councillors at Cambridge City Council have also raised concerns about drug dealing in the city, with one saying people were taking drugs in parks where children were trying to play.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the city council’s north area committee this week (June 8), which covers the Arbury, Kings’ Hedges, West Chesterton, and East Chesterton areas of the city.

Councillors heard from teacher Katie Neville-Jones, who said children were walking past people dealing drugs when on their way to school.

She said: “Children are being exposed to the smells and seeing drug dealing happening on the way to school at 8.30am and 9am in the morning.

“That is not ok to arrive at school almost smelling of cannabis as you walk down the street and how that is occurring.

“That is secondary school, that is the primary schools, all of the local schools, children are walking through and smelling and seeing drug dealing in the morning and in the afternoon.”

Mrs Neville-Jones said she also had “particular concerns” heading into summer about Jesus Green.

She said there was “constant exposure” to drugs, which was “normalising it”, and said she had concerns about “where does it lead to next”.

Councillor Gerri Bird said she had been contacted by a woman who said drugs were being thrown into her garden, with a group of men then coming in the night to collect them.

She said the woman had told this had happened four times. Cllr Bird said the woman was a mum of six children and had reported what was happening to police, but had heard nothing back.

Councillor Patrick Sheil said he had heard problems of people taking drugs in parks during the day when children were trying to play.

A report was presented to the meeting from Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the community safety team at the city council, about what work has been done to tackle some of the issues raised by councillors in the area.
The report said tackling drug dealing and county lines “remains a priority” for the police.

Sergeant Alice Jeffery said she encouraged people to report it online when they came across issues, as this allowed police to “build up a picture”.

She said the more information they had would help them to conduct dedicated patrols, as well as targeting specific times.

Sergeant Jeffery said she would also go back and review some of the specific areas that were raised by councillors at the meeting.