Farmer's concerns after suspected cannabis is dumped beside family home

A TYRONE farmer has raised serious concerns after suspected cannabis plants and related materials were dumped at the side of a road beside his farm, leaving him worried about his family's safety and that of his livestock.

Gordon McCrea, who farms on the Carrigans Road outside Newtownstewart, says plastic bags and containers containing what he believes to be marijuana plants, along with aluminium foil, clay, gloves and substances used to help grow the drug, were left at the roadside near his home.

Gordon, who raises cows and sheep, said the dumping is “not right” and described it as an eyesore on his doorstep. He is particularly concerned about the risk it poses to his animals.

“I have a few cattle on the road, and I’m trying to keep everybody safe,” he said. “If a bird got at it and a piece of it was carried over to my cattle, it affects their welfare.”

The 51-year-old farmer, who has worked the land all his life, first noticed the dumped material a week before Christmas. He said he contacted both the council and police, believing the material would be removed because it appeared to be an illegal substance.

“The PSNI came on December 30 at around 6pm,” he said. “They ripped open the bags and told me it had been lying too long to get evidence. They said it wasn’t their problem and they left. I thought they would have taken it with them. At the end of the day, it’s a cannabis plant.”

Gordon said he also contacted an environmental officer, who told him that officials must first determine who owns the land before action can be taken, as the material is located at the side of the road. He says he does not know how much longer the waste will remain there.

The situation has caused added concern for Gordon's family, particularly his 14-year-old daughter.

“It’s scary that this is on my own doorstep,” he said. “If this is what our country has come to, it’s bad. That’s what we have to deal with now.”

He also highlighted what he described as an ongoing problem with fly-tipping along the road, saying he regularly has to collect rubbish left by passing motorists.

“I own 100 acres of land along the road, and over the years I’ve gathered tins, cans, bottles and general rubbish,” he said. “It’s every day, it never stops.”

Gordon added that he is frustrated by the lack of progress.

“I have no idea what is going to happen. I am fed up looking at it, it is a total eyesore,” he said. “It’s not just one plant, it’s a load of them and they’re rotting away. You have to ask, where did this come from? Who’s growing this stuff? Is it somebody beside me? And why dump it off at the roadside?”

Commenting on the matter, a PSNI spokesperson said: “Police attended the report of paraphernalia being dumped on the side of a road in the Carrigans Road area of Newtownstewart on December 30. Nothing of a criminal nature was located.”

A Fermanagh and Omagh District Council spokesperson added: “The council is currently investigating a report of fly-tipping in the vicinity. As this is an ongoing matter, the council is unable to provide further comment at this time.”