“We’re going to see this through to the bitter end. Or... lager end“

Let’s raise a glass to the final part of the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, a collection of British comedies that have redefined cinema.

The fun started back in 2004 with Shaun of the Dead, which featured a red strawberry Cornetto, representing the zombie infused blood and gore.

Then came 2007’s Hot Fuzz that had a blue original Cornetto – a nod to the police elements in the plot.

The World’s End which has a green mint choc-chip flavour Cornetto wrapper prominent in one scene – acknowledging the alien/sci-fi elements.

But does this much-loved trilogy go out with a bang or a whimper?

Meet Gary King (Simon Pegg), once cock of the walk in his sleepy home town of Newton Haven.

He’s haunted by his teenage failure to complete The Golden Mile, an infamous pub-crawl involving 12 boozers, finishing at The World’s End.

So he cajoles his former school pals back together – wimpy Peter (Eddie Marsan), sensible Oliver (Martin Freeman, known as ‘O-Man’ due to the satanic birthmark on his forehead), love rival Steven (Paddy Considine) and best mate Andrew (Nick Frost) – to tick that particular box.

But when the gang reach Newton Haven things get a little freaky…

You don’t need to know too much about the plot, just be assured that The World’s End is a rampantly funny road trip that delivers buddy movie banter galore.

But there is a real beating heart beneath the action, which sees the pals trying to make sense of their lives whilst fighting off alien robot clones who have come to change earth.

Director Edgar ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Wright knows how to tap the nostalgia vein and packs in some great one liners about life, some truths about growing up, plus a killer soundtrack that includes The Sisters of Mercy, Blur, Primal Scream and The Stone Roses.

Love interest comes in the shapely form of Oliver’s sexy sister Sam (Rosamund Pike), who both Gary and Steven fancy.

There is much to enjoy here including a wonderfully over the top school disco scene set in a nightclub pub.

You may spot Letchworth, Welwyn Garden City and Ashridge locations along the way.

The World’s End is a great ending to a classic trilogy, and although it might not be the best of the three it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Watch the video report to see what star Nick Frost has to say about the movie.

{http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/columnists/alan-dee-s-movie-preview-the-world-s-end-is-a-smooth-conclusion-to-cornetto-triology-1-5284422|To see an interview with Simon Pegg, click here}

A man was hit with a brick after complaining about a disturbance in Windsor Street on Saturday night (July 20).

The 40-year-old stepped outside his house at about 11pm to speak to someone who was causing a disturbance.

He was hit with a brick by someone who is described as about 18 years old, of Asian appearance and 5ft 7.

The victim was taken to hospital and has since been released.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or knows the offender to contact them on 101.

A shopkeeper who is leading the fight against prostitution in High Town says he is not fazed by what he calls a “smear campaign” against him.

Shahzad Khadam, of M H Supermarket in Old Bedford Road, discovered damaging graffiti on the walls of his shop this morning (July 22).

The graffiti, which appeared overnight, included the (largely misspelt) phrases “You do business with prostitutes - hypocrite” and “we stop your women being raped.”

Mr Khadam said: “It doesn’t bother me too much but the comments are embarrassing as people have been reading them as they walk past. It’s made -up things to make me look bad, it’s a smear campaign. They are resorting to dirty tactics, it’s like what kids would do, making things up.”

The criminal damage, which has been reported to the police, comes days after a five year plan to eradicate prostitution in the area was announced by the council, which Shahzad and other High Town Against Prostitution members have long campaigned for.

Mr Khadam said: “It’s obviously having an effect and that’s why they are doing these things to try and stop me. I want to know where the police were when this damage was being done.”

A Beds Police spokesperson confirmed the damage has been reported to them and enquires are ongoing.

Kind-hearted students from two Luton schools have responded wholeheartedly to an appeal to help the town’s Foodbank

Little learners at Beechwood Primary held a food drive and non-school uniform day collecting 1,633 items – ranging from tins of tuna to baked beans – with a stock value of £951.

Family worker team leader Ruth Woodfield said: “We had an amazing response with enough food to fill a van and two cars with 114 boxes of cereals.”

Putteridge Primary pupils donated non-perishable food in lieu of wearing uniforms. They also attended special assemblies to learn more about the not-for-profit organisation and how their contributions would assist families facing hardships.

Family worker Clare Bowling said: “We collected more than 3,000 items which will go a long way to helping people in our comunity who need support.”

She said the event had had such a positive response they intend running another in October.

Luton mayor and Foodbank founder member Cllr Sheila Roden said: “If it weren’t for the generosity of local people providing donations, many families would go hungry. Well done to pupils, parents and staff for providing so many items which truly will help those in most need.”

PureGym Luton and Dunstable is teaming up with Change4Life in an attempt to help 500,000 people get active this summer.

Change4Life targets the causes of obesity by helping families make small yet significant improvements to their diet, activity levels and alcohol consumption.

Entering the Change4Life code PGGAMES will give people a one day free pass at PureGym Luton and Dunstable.

People will be able to use their free day pass on July 27-28 and September 7-8.

For more information, visit www.nhs.uk/change4life.

Visit www.puregym.com.

A survey which claims Luton is the “least safe” place for children to walk to school has been slammed by the council.

The AA survey of 22,000 Streetwatch volunteers found 34 per cent agreed it’s “not safe” for children to walk in Luton, making it the worst in the country.

A Luton Council spokesperson said they don’t recognise the claim and can’t find “any sound basis” for it.

The spokesperson said: “Our own surveys have revealed that 84 per cent of people in Luton feel safe in their communities and crime has fallen by 12 per cent in the last year.

“ In addition, the Council is continuing to work hard to improve Luton’s walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure, last year for example improving more than 2,000m of cycleway and footpath, providing cycle training to more than 2,150 pupils and employing the CCTV enforcement vehicle to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists around schools.

“Improvements to routes have taken place in Dallow Downs, Chaul End, Challney, High Town, Bramingham and Sundon Park, and thanks to ongoing work by the Council’s road safety team, more than 70 per cent of children are now usually travelling to school on foot or by bike, putting us in one of the top ten councils in the country (source: Department of Transport).

“The number of children injured in road accidents in Luton also continues to fall because of our dedicated road safety team working on both educational and physical engineering measures to improve the safety of all road users.

The safest areas for children to walk, according to the AA report, are the Isle of Mann, Dundee, Berwick and Borders, Kirkcaldy and St Albans.

Almost all respondents (94 per cent) said they believe children should be encouraged to walk more.

Regular readers kind enough to chortle at my restrained rage last week – you’ll remember that thoughtless family function guests, watermelons and guinea pigs were involved, but I don’t want to scratch that scab again if you don’t mind – have suggested that there are far more pressing problems facing anyone organising a decent-sized get-together these days.

The biggest headache, they say, is the clearing up.

It was ever thus, you might think, but no, they have a point.

Time was when you could fill the house with far-flung friends and relatives, ply them with drink and a goodly spread of cold cuts, and when they had all cleared off home it was a simple enough job to sweep the various leftovers and empties into the bin, jam the lid down and wait for the good offices of the local authority refuse disposal team to do their bit.

But that was then, and this is now.

There’s enough confusion and complication to furrow the brow in everyday sorting of the household rubbish – but when you suddenly have a mountain of extra detritus and a need to dispose of it, what to do?

Those little food caddies won’t cope with that stack of leftover pasta salad and all those chicken bones, will they?

The limited bin space provided for a fortnight’s worth of recycling just isn’t enough for all the bottles and cans generated by a Dee family congregation on a hot afternoon.

I think the only way to tackle the problem is to take inspiration from a throwaway line in The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, penned more than 30 years ago by the far-sighted Douglas Adams.

He wrote about a planet with such a fragile ecosystem that all visitors were weighed on arrival. If, on departure, they were found to be heavier then the excess was surgically removed, but if they were lighter they had to take stuff away with them to maintain the delicate balance.

I’m afraid that’s how it should be at family gatherings from now on.

When you arrive, what you bring with you has to be checked in, whether it’s a six-pack of beer, a couple of bottles of wine, a quiche or a bumper bowl of mixed salad.

And when it’s time to take your leave, you don’t just get your coats – you commit to removing equivalent amounts of recyclable rubbish with you, as well as taking your fair share of any food which has proved surplus to requirements.

This, to my mind, has two distinct advantages. Not only would it mean that the host does not have to deal with a mountain of rubbish sorting and correct disposal, but should also ensure a far higher quality of contributed food and drink.

Who, after all, would bring an own-brand value range dessert if they knew that the niggardly scale of their offer would be clear to everyone present?

Pupils, staff and governors at Lealands High School in Luton have been celebrating the completion of the school’s £17.5 million makeover this week.

Designed by national education specialists GSSArchitecture, the whole school campus has been completely redesigned to deliver a 21st century learning environment.

Works have involved completely restructuring the school with a clear safe new school and community entrance and arrival space.

New external learning courtyard spaces have been created, providing safe play and social spaces, including covered courts for additional dining and all-weather spaces.

More than 1,000 students are enjoying the completed refurbishment and the redevelopment of all the other classrooms and learning spaces, which now provide a dynamic, inspiring and flexible place in which to learn and play.

Additional community facilities have also been constructed, providing self-contained, accessible function and meeting rooms, with dedicated toilet facilities and catering provision.

GSSArchitecture Partner, Tom Lyons, said: “We are delighted to see Lealands High School complete.

“This fantastic project has provided excellent facilities for the school and the wider Luton community, which has created a flexible, spacious and vibrant learning environment.”

A train that was hit by lightning outside Luton Airport Parkway is moving again.

A lightning strike tripped the overhead powerline supply at about 12.15pm, causing the 10.07 Sutton to Luton train to be halted outside the railway station.

No one was hurt and the train driver said he “didn’t even notice” the lightning hit.

A First Capital Connect spokesperson said: “It was a lightening strike that tripped the overhead at Luton Hoo. The driver was asked if they were ok (as a precaution) but all clear with no major incident. Train now running with a slight delay.”

If you ask me, the Hollywood suits who gave the green light for this week’s serving of summer blockbuster have really missed a trick.

Yes, The Wolverine is packed with all the special effects action you’d expect to see.

But the one thing we all know about Hugh Jackman since his star turn in Les Miserables is that the guy can certainly hold a tune.

So why did nobody think of Wolverine: The Musical? It’s not that much of a stretch, and it would probably have tapped in to a whole new demographic.

But hold that thought – and if a Wolverine sequel with the monster most in need of a manicure warbling through his motivations ever appears on a screen near you, be assured that I will be pursuing those responsible for a slice of the action.

Back to the movie in a minute, but as it’s the only release likely to trouble the multiplexes this week some padding is in order. I’ve done my research – the wolverine, Latin name gulo gulo, is also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, and it’s the largest land-dwelling species of the family mustelidae. Thanks, Wikipedia.

It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids, and has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times larger than itself.

But as far as the world at large is concerned, Wolverine is the hairy one out of X-Men, as played by Mr Jackman in a string of previous films.

Now he’s back centre stage, and the set-up finds him lonely, vulnerable and aimless.

The call to action comes in from a mysterious young woman who brings him to Japan where, what do you know, he is put to the test once again and has to learn to control the rage which makes him such a fearsome foe.

So that means there is plenty of Samurai-style slice and dice action, some cod inner karma philosophy and outings galore for those adamantium claws which make buying gloves such a trial for our hero.

It’s less big and stupid than some other heatwave headliners, and Jackman in the lead does his best to invest some depth into his troubled character.

He’s impressively muscular when the circumstances demand it, but he’s also conflicted and searching for some sort of peace. You could even imagine him belting out a moving ballad on the subject, couldn’t you?

For action fans, there’s nothing startling here although there’s a bullet train scene which will really get the pulses racing.

Director Tom Mangold’s last big budget movie outing was the Tom Cruise stinker Knight & Day but we won’t hold that against him – this is solid, but not spectacular, summer fare.

Click on the video link to see what Hugh Jackman thinks about his latest role

The Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner has written to the Home Secretary asking for help coping with budget cuts.

Beds Police is one of five forces in the country that will struggle to cope with further cuts, according to the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HIMC)’s annual report.

Commissioner Olly Martins wants permission from the Home Office to increase council tax by £5 per household without having to hold a referendum each year, and to receive the amount of government funding the force should get instead of being “docked £2m - £3m each year”.

A second letter, sent by Mr Martins and Chief Constable Colette Paul to local MPs, says: “We ask that you make whatever representations you can to support us to ensure the current proactive policing that is reducing the number of crimes and increasing the number of detections in Bedfordshire does not vanish.”

Crime has fallen by 11 per cent overall in Beds, and the HIMC report says the force has responded well to cuts, transforming services and improving performance, but as one of the smallest in the country, it has limited opportunities to reduce costs further.

Mr Martins said the force is “lean, low cost and nonetheless one of the most efficient and effective in the country.”

“Frightened and fed up” residents who are sick of travellers camping illegally in Luton are hoping to persuade the council to enforce a zero tolerance policy at a meeting on Monday.

Wigmore councillors have asked the council’s executive to protect open land and immediately evict travellers “as a matter of urgency”.

Open land at Hedley Rise, Laxton Close and Falstone Green are named as areas which need the most urgent protection, after recent battles to remove travellers who are now in Manor Road.

Lib Dem councillor for Wigmore, Diane Moles, said: “The mess, the filth, the muck that the travellers leave behind is unbelievable. They are permanently here, they just move around from site to site. They make people afraid, they are aggressive, they break the rules and nobody does anything about it. For some reason in Luton the laws are on their side. They are sponging off society and why should we put up with it?”

Councillor Moles said travellers park vans close to residents’ fences and use the gap inbetween as toilets, which in hot weather is “even worse”.

She said: “They frighten people – the fear residents have when travellers are close to their properties, because they don’t object to breaking down fences. Then there’s the money it costs to evict them and clean up. Herts Council seem to have zero tolerance and that’s why they come here instead.”

Wigmore residents are hoping people will come to the executive meeting at 6pm on Monday in the Town Hall to support their campaign.

Luton Borough Council have spent £23,000 evicting travellers so far this year, and spent £27,248 last year.

The report also calls for the Travellers’ Hotline for residents to report travellers to be reviewed as it currently provides an “unacceptable service”. Luton resident Rob Palmer has used the service and said it is a “waste of time”.

It is hoped the council will invite police to attend evictions of travellers in order to prevent them moving illegally to another area, and enforce the law regarding criminal damage.

A Luton angler caught more than he bargained for when he was struck by lightning during Tuesday’s thunder storms.

The 55-year-old was just reeling in a fish when he saw a “mighty flash” and felt a jolt through his left arm and right foot.

“ I remember saying to my friend “I think I’ve been struck by lightning”, then I felt faint and fell over,” he said.

The man then started fitting because of the effect of the lightening bolt on his brain. His movements were so violent that he knocked out his friend’s TEETH out as he tried to help.

“I also broke my friend’s watch. My rod just disappeared in the water. I’d caught 12 fish that day, and I lost everything.”

“I have paid £100 for my friend’s watch, and now I have his teeth to pay for too! But I’m lucky to be alive really.”

The man was taken to Milton Keynes hospital where he was carefully assessed.

He said: I’ve nothing but praise and admiration for the hospital staff and emergency services. They monitored my heart and blood pressure and did some tests. It was absolutely fantastic. I was well looked after.”

The following day he was well enough to go back to work.

“I’m feeling fine,” he said.” It has been a talking point at work.”

The man was fishing at Three Lakes at Stewkley near Milton Keynes. After the lightning strike there were dead fish floating on top of the water.”

He said:” I’m not at all put off fishing again. If I hear thunder in the future, I probably won’t be fishing then – seems best to pack up and go home.”

One economic fact which stares us all in the face is that we in Britain have an enormous trade deficit, a trade gap. We import much more than we export, and especially in trade with the rest of the European Union (EU).

The brilliant British economist John Maynard Keynes – the brightest of them all – understood that a trade deficit like Britain’s could only be put right by reducing the prices of our exports and increasing the prices of our imports, by devaluation or depreciation of the currency. That is why he designed the world economy after the Second World War to include the possibility of devaluations when necessary. Bad economists have now foolishly dismantled much of what Keynes created.

Britain’s trade deficit with the rest of the EU, and especially Germany, is now more than one billion pounds every week. That is the equivalent of over a million jobs exported from Britain to the continent. To prove to yourself that we have a trade problem try counting all the BMWs, Mercedes, Audis and Volkswagens on our roads. Even my Vauxhall was actually made in Germany. It is not surprising that Germany’s manufacturing industry is now more than twice as big as Britain’s as a proportion of the economy.

So we need to adjust the value of the Pound relative to the Euro to give Britain’s manufacturing a real chance of recovery.

Had Britain joined the Euro we would by now be in a terrible crisis, like Spain for example. As it is we have two and a half million unemployed, but Spain’s equivalent unemployment rate in Britain would be eight million with more than half of our young people under 25 without jobs.

Britain’s economic recoveries in the 1930s, the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1980s and 1990s were all built on significant devaluations or depreciations and we need another such adjustment now.

We need more manufacturing still, and getting the right value for our currency is a vital condition for success.

Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in Luton are being invited to join together to get cheaper energy bills.

The Ready to Switch for Businesses scheme involves energy suppliers being invited to bid the lowest price to supply the energy to all firms that have signed up.

It’s about using bulk buying power to drive down unit costs and there are other energy saving schemes around that firms can sign up to, such as through Utility Warehouse. The idea is that the more businesses sign up the more negotiating power the scheme has.

Luton Borough Council and six other local authorities are in this particular scheme.

Councillor Hazel Simmons, the leader of Luton Borough Council, said: “Business success is vital for Luton so we are doing everything we can to help local SMEs prosper. This scheme is easy to join and will help business owners who don’t have the time or don’t know where to start looking for a new energy supplier.

“This is a great opportunity to get cheaper energy by simply registering your details. There is absolutely nothing to lose as there is no obligation to accept any resulting offer.”

Trevor Holden, chief executive of Luton Borough Council, said: “We know that many SMEs struggle to find the best deal for their gas and electricity because they are not as readily available as domestic ones. We also know that a lot of owners are paying up to 35 per cent more than they need to.

“The more people that sign up the better, as this will drive better deals for businesses.”

More details about the collective switching scheme can be found at www.readytoswitch.co.uk or www.luminaenergy.co.uk.

Registration is open until October 16.

Luton is the setting for a major new play which opens in the West End this week.

The Same Deep Water As Me, at The Donmar Warehouse from Thursday (Aug 1), is a compo culture comedy that is right on the button of today’s something-for-nothing society.

It’s the work of 28-old Nick Payne, who did more than his fair share of hanging around the Arndale Centre at weekends before going off to York Uni and becoming this country’s next best thing when it comes to dramatists.

In a ridiculously short period of time he’s gone from serving behind the counter at The National Theatre’s bookshop and ushering in the public at The Old Vic to multiple-award winning writer.

Nick was on the Royal Court’s Young Writer’s programme, coming up with his first play, If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet, in 2009, which won an award. It was followed by more plays, more critical acclaim and then, in 2012, Constellations, starring Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins, which won him the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play.

On top of that he’s hobnobbing with Hollywood and there’s talk of two film adaptations of his work.

Although Nick grew up on the Lower Luton Road, in Wheathampstead, his dad was born and grew up in Luton, in a house on Calverton Road and there’s a certain nostalgia attached to setting his latest play in the town.

He told me: “My mum and dad met in Luton and moved in to their first flat together on Marsh Road. Although I didn’t grow up in Luton, as a child I would regularly visit the Arndale (and I loved it).

“My dad was a Luton Town supporter and the first professional football match I ever saw was at Kenilworth Road.

“I chose to set the play in Luton mostly out of nostalgia, I think”.

The seeds of The Same Deep Water As Me were first formed three years ago and researching the background has taken the young writer into the murky world of fraud. He’s interviewed cops and sat in on a crown court trial.

The comedy, which runs until the end of September, stars Daniel Mays as a no-win, no-fee personal injury lawyer who returns from London to Luton to see his dying father and is drawn into a criminal conspiracy with a character from his past.

Andrew (Mays, seen recently on TV playing Ronnie Biggs) and Barry (Nigel Four Lions Lindsay) run Scorpion Claims, Luton’s finest personal injury lawyers.

When Kevin, Andrew’s high school nemesis, appears in his office the opportunity for a quick win arises – until the lying starts to get out of control.

“I think it’s a really complex area, “said Nick.

“As we hear about large companies - Apple, Amazon, so on - going to great lengths to minimise the amount of tax they pay, I wonder if there might be a danger that this murky behaviour has an affect on the rest of us?

“ Might, for instance, the cunning behaviour of these companies fuel those of us who perhaps feel disenfranchised, and who are struggling financially, to behave similarly? I don’t know. But it’s a question I hope the play explores.”

For tickets and info contact the Donmar Warehouse 0844 871 7624 or visit www.donmarwarehouse.com

Bookworms of the future may find they have far fewer ways of getting their hands on the latest literature as libraries across Luton are set to close.

Leagrave, Marsh Farm, Wigmore, Sundon Park, Stopsley and the Mobile Library Service are being considered for either closure, relocation or downsizing as the council tries to reduce the £2.7million they spend on libraries.

A review of Luton libraries, compiled by surveying 2,468 people, will be discussed at the council’s executive committee meeting on Monday.

A spokesperson for Luton Culture, who run the libraries on behalf of the council, said: “We believe the loss of any library is detrimental, particularly at this current time of economic hardship for many. However, we feel that taking into account the significant reduction in funding, the option being recommended will provide the best possible library service for Luton residents.“

The report acknowledges that “a reduced library service does have a negative impact on educational attainment, and it particularly adversely affects children, the elderly and the disadvantaged.”

Of those surveyed, 85 per cent said the closure of their local library would have a fairly or very big impact on them and 97 per cent had used a library in the past 12 months. Leagrave and Central libraries were the most used, and Bury Park the least.

There are various options for the closures, but all will keep Central open. There will be no mobile library unless the opening hours are reduced at central library. At least two libraries will close with others downsizing and relocating.

Over 750 residents have signed a petition to save Sundon Park Library. > What do you think?

A mother is horrified about drugs paraphernalia she found left in parks and open spaces in Luton where she takes her two-year-old son to play.

Vikki Hardy, 28, discovered litter including used needles, medical wrappers, candles and alcohol wipes, in the privately owned Bramingham Woods and Limbury Park within the space of a week.

With summer holidays starting and more children wanting to play outdoors, the Warden Hills mother wants to warn parents of the dangers.

Vikki said: “I was extremely upset to find that places I take my son Shaun to play have evidence of needle abuse. I’m not talking about seedy little areas of town, I’m talking about the green spaces we have where you expect your child to play safely. I wanted to teach my son about nature, instead I was getting him away from the needles and wrappers. It is scary and extremely sad to think that maybe as my son grows he’d be more safe sat at home playing computer games like so many children these days than going out to play with friends and being active in his local area.”

She added: “The fact I saw this in two completely different areas is frightening – where else could they be? I will definitely be looking out for it in the future.”

A Luton Borough Council spokesperson said: “As part of their daily duties, all parks employees clean up any waste material irresponsibly left behind by visitors. Anyone spotting drugs activity taking place should report it to the police.”

The council offers a “speedy clean-up response” to anyone reporting such material. Call 01582 456000 with an exact site.

Bramingham Woods is privately owned, so the council has alerted the owners.

By Connie Primmer

A man who stole a pair of Prada sunglasses from the Sunglass Hut in Luton Airport is shown on CCTV images released by police today (July 25).

The incident took place at around 5.15am on June 16 when the offender removed the security label from a pair of Prada sunglasses in the departure lounge shop and left the store without attempting to pay for them.

If you recognise the man shown in the images or have information, call 101 quoting crime reference number C/20114/1013.

Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Two men were arrested for drugs offences after fleeing from police and crashing their car into a fence in Mangrove Road on Wednesday (July 24).

Officers had tried to speak to the men during a routine stop in Garretts Mead, Stopsley at about 7pm but they sped away.

The men, both 23, were unhurt after the crash and a search of their car revealed what is thought to be cannabis.

A search of a property in Linden Close, Dunstable, revealed plants, thought to be cannabis, being cultivated.

The men were arrested on suspicion of possession of a class B drug with intent to supply and were later released on bail.

Speaking after the arrests, PC Cheryldeen Liversidge said: “The two men have been released on police bail pending further investigation and a forensic examination of the substance and plants found.

“People who deal and take illegal drugs can also often make the lives of residents in our county a misery. Those who use illegal drugs often commit burglaries and robberies to fund their habit. Removing illegal drug suppliers from our streets will help achieve our aim of reducing crime and protecting the public and I would urge anyone who has information relating to those who deal in drugs to contact the police and help in the crackdown against criminals.”

Anyone with information relating to criminals in their area can contact Bedfordshire Police on 101, in confidence, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively you can contact the independent crime fighting charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.