By Martin Walker
A Middridge man has received a caution after police seized cannabis plants from his home.
Police searched the property after securing a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act, and arrested a 48-year-old in relation to drugs offences.
A small quantity of mature cannabis plants were seized from the address, and the man later received a caution.
In his regular blog on Aycliffe Today, Neighbourhood Police Team Sergeant Mark Edwards said: “I know many of you out there are sceptical of cautions and see these as a slap on the wrist.
“All I can say is that any disposal available for a criminal offence is based on the individual circumstances surrounding that matter.
“The decision to caution as opposed to charge can be based on any one of a number of factors.
“It may be the feelings of the victims themselves, whether the matter is deemed so low-value that to proceed with a court case is not in the public interest, whether there is any complaint from the victim/s at all and so forth.
“So in a nutshell, no two crimes are the same and what one person receives as ‘punishment’ may not be what another gets.”
Click here to read Sgt Edwards latest blog
