A pensioner has appeared in court after cannabis worth at least £10,000 was found in a north-east village.
The discovery was made at a property in Logie Road, Crimond, on Tuesday in the wake of a fire which destroyed a garden shed.
Robert Kelly, 67, appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court yesterday to face two charges of possession with intent to supply.
Kelly, of Aberdeenshire, made no plea and was remanded in custody for further examination. He will be back in the dock next week.
Following the appearance, sergeant Lisa Will urged anyone with concerns about drugs to get in touch with officers.
She said: “Police Scotland is committed to tackling drug misuse in local communities.
“If anyone has concerns about drug misuse in their area they should call police on 101 or the charity Crimestoppers to remain anonymous on 0800 555 111.”
Firefighters were called to Crimond shortly after 2am on Tuesday in response to reports of a shed having caught alight.
The fire destroyed the shed and left piles of melted plastic all over the property’s back garden, while burnt parts of the structure blew into the playing fields at nearby Crimond Primary School.
Police wearing blue gloves were at the scene on Tuesday and could be seen loading their waiting vehicles with evidence bags.
One woman, who did want to be named, said she watched the fire take hold after waking up in the middle of the night.
“I opened my door and it was like Blackpool illuminations,” she said. There were two fire engines and two police cars.”