Legal highs shop first in Scotland to be shut down after receiving closure order

The outlet, Harminasion, is the first to be closed in Scotland after Aberdeen Sheriff Court granted an antisocial behaviour closure order.

Other incidents at the shop include shoplifting and breaches of the peace. Some customers were also using it as a pawnshop.

Chief inspector Nick Topping said there was an “increasing and significantly high number” of complaints about the shop and that the concerns of residents, councillors, businesses and others in the city led to the police taking action.

He said: “This is a benchmark, something that can be done in the short term in the hope that residents can get back to some kind of normality.

“UK legislation wise, we are looking at a year to two years for that coming in, so we need to use the law we have right now to keep people safe.

“Now we have secured this first one, other divisions are looking to replicate.

“I stress the case has been built firmly around the associated antisocial behaviour that has been caused by the way the business operates.

“That said, we of course have obvious concerns around the effects of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), or so-called legal highs being sold.”

Councillor Ross Thomson said: “This should act as a warning to all the other stores selling legal highs, be it advertised openly in the window or through word of mouth.

“Antisocial behaviour is our main weapon right now, and we are getting reports of it in Peterhead, Arbroath and Montrose, where there are other legal high stores, so there will be more closures to follow.”

A shop given an antisocial behaviour order can re-open after three months. In order for another antisocial order to be issued against a shop additional evidence must be provided.