Pay up for raid on Rasta temple

Rastas will receive thousands of pounds in compensation after cops wrecked their temple in a drugs raid.

Officers ripped up floorboards, smashed up walls, broke windows and damaged property at St Agnes Place, Kennington, last month.

Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court said £8,000 should be paid to the Ethiopian World Federation, a body representing Rastas.

It also refused a police application to close the property on the grounds it was a crackhouse, saying cops had not presented enough evidence that class-A drugs were being stored there.

The application was made by Lambeth borough commander Chief Superintendent Martin Bridger, who said police were told crack dealers were using the property, but no class-A drugs were found.

He added: “The raid recovered a large quantity of cannabis, a quantity of ammunition and a taser gun.

“The raid was carried out with the support of the community but we do have to respect the decision of the court.”

Rastas living in the property claimed the police used excessive force.

Jah Blue from the Rasta International HQ, the committee which runs the temple, said he returned from Ghana to a scene of devastation.

He told the South London Press: “They were looking for things and tearing up floorboards and smashing walls. They have made the place uninhabitable.

“It will cost a lot of money to get it back to a decent state. It’s real-ly heavy.We have been there since 1972.

“Everyone knows that the Rasta community does not do these things. Our people are not into heavy drugs at all.”

Asked about the compensation award, he said: “I don’t want to go into that at the moment, but I don’t think it is enough.”

More than 60 armed officers, some using stun guns, stormed London’s most famous Rasta temple and searched its 32 rooms on April 12.

Twenty-three people were arrested in the raid which took place after cops said they had seen up to 400 people turn up to buy drugs. Police launched a major surveillance operation in October after reports that crack dealers had taken over the property.

The final raid was launched after members of the Rasta community appealed to police for help.

A 40-year-old, 45-year-old and 48-year-old were charged with conspiracy to supply class-C drugs.

Lambeth council is expecting to take possession of the property on May 15 and is in negotiations with the Rasta community about finding them a new home.

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