Police left empty-handed after raiding a St Albans business for illegal highs.

The Londis Store, in Hatfield Road, is the first shop in Hertfordshire to be searched since new legislation came into place in May 2016.

The store was closed and searched by officers in the early morning of Tuesday, however officers did not find any illegal substances.

Police Constable Shaun Woods, who led the investigation, said: “The reason we came here is because we received intelligence that this premises was selling these drugs.

“We did this to promote awareness of the drugs and we need to keep doing these type of searches.

“We only know what we know. We searched the property but nothing has been seized to suggest these products are being sold there.”

Psychoactive substances or illegal highs are drugs which contain one or more chemical substances which produce similar effects like cocaine and ecstasy.

After receiving the intelligence, officers have to ask a magistrate for permission to search a premises.

PC Woods said it is about the quality of intelligence not the quantity meaning one person’s evidence is enough depending on the magistrate who decides whether it is suitable.

The intelligence has to be recent, according to PC Woods, and has to be within the last three months.

In May, a blanket ban on legal highs came into force - giving police power to shut down businesses caught selling them.

Olivia Finucane, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s communications team, said three years ago nine people were admitted to Watford General Hospital after taking illegal highs.

According to Mrs Finucane most of the people recovered however one of them is still suffering from mental health problems.

In St Albans, and other areas in the county, there is a concern for the homeless community who have been using illegal highs as they are cheaper to purchase.

According to PCSO Adriano Russo many people take the drugs when they do not feel the effects of alcohol or drugs anymore.

PCSO Russo said: “Shops and market stalls sell these drugs because they have been imported in.

“They used to be legal and had that word in their name and many people, including children, thought they were harmless.

“Now the new legislation has come into place making them illegal.”