The controversial UK Skunkworks shop in Canterbury selling legal highs

by Gerry Warren

The father of a teenager who drowned after taking methoxetamine has condemned the opening of a new shop selling legal highs, party pills and drug smoking equipment.

Robert Wenn says he is "disgusted" UK Skunkworks is trying to put a respectable face on the business, which opened a store in Canterbury city centre this week.

Mr Wenn, from Barham, said: "They might be operating just on the right side of the law, but surely it’s grossly irresponsible to encourage youngsters to take these sort of things, which can be lethal.

"Quite frankly, I’m appalled. Will it take the death of another young person to have all these so-called highs banned from sale?

"In the present climate of the drug problem we have in this country, it’s unforgiveable."

He and his wife, Fiona, and family are still grieving the loss of their 17-year-old son Hugo (pictured left) in January.

His body was found alongside his 25-year-old friend Daniel Lloyd in Canterbury's Reed Pond after the pair took the now-banned drug methoxetamine - known as MXE.

A campaign backed by Canterbury MP Julian Brazier earlier this year led to the government putting MXE on the banned list.

But police in Canterbury have visited the new shop, just yards from schools in Northgate, and say no offences are being committed.

PC Dave Watts, who is the drug liaison officer for Canterbury, said: "We do review companies operating in this field to ensure that no illegal activity is taking place.

"It is not an offence to sell equipment and seeds and there is nothing to suggest that this company is involved in the illegal sale of controlled drugs."

Many of the pills and powders, such as Benzo Fury, sold by UK Skunkworks come in colourful sachets with ‘not for human consumption’ written on them.

Benzo Fury, which has recently been linked to the death of a teenager, is being sold at UK Skunkworks in Canterbury

Just last week, a 19-year-old is reported to have died at the RockNess Festival in Scotland after taking Benzo Fury.

But Max Mulley, who runs the chain which has five shops across the south east, said: "We’re not encouraging anyone to do anything. What they do with it is up to them."

He said the business had opened in Canterbury because it had a big student population and that his shops were "very busy".

Among the items on sale in the shop are books on cannabis, including the Joint Rolling Handbook, the Marijuana Growing Handbook and Spliffs 1.

Mr Mulley said: "We operate within the law and it is not proven that anything we sell is directly linked to deaths.

"The government needs to realise that banning things only drives it underground where products get mashed up with all sorts of stuff.

"All ours are lab-tested and we operate a responsible business and a strict over-18s only policy."

He added: "I am sure that cannabis will be legalised in five to six years. It’s alcohol and tobacco which are the biggest threat to health and responsible for most deaths. But you don’t see them being banned because they make billions in tax."