A man has appeared in court charged in connection with an incident in Longtown which resulted in homes being evacuated and an army bomb disposal team being called.
Residents in the area of Burn Street were moved from their residential properties on Wednesday morning after police found a suspicious item in a flat.
Longtown Community Centre was made available for those who were evacuated and several people did attend.
Following tests, it was concluded that there was no threat from the item located within the property. This was taken away and then the subject of a controlled explosion outside of Longtown.
A 50m cordon which had been put in place as a precaution was lifted. People were allowed to return home and a man was arrested by police.
Luke Benjamin Harris, 33, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court this afternoon. He currently faces two drug charges which a police spokesman confirmed are connected with the incident on Wednesday.
One charge alleges that Harris was concerned in the production of cannabis. A second charge alleges his possession of the class B controlled drug, at Longtown on July 24, with intent to supply it to others.
During today’s court hearing, Harris spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
He pleaded not guilty to both charges after they were read to him by a court legal advisor.
Prosecutor George Shelley alleged that 88.7g of cannabis with an estimated value of around £800 had been recovered by officers during the incident.
After hearing submissions from the prosecution and defence, magistrates concluded that the case should be heard at Carlisle Crown Court due, they said, to the likely factual and legal complexities of the case.
Harris, of Burn Street, Longtown, is set to appear there in front of a judge on August 23. In the meantime he was remanded in custody after a bail application made on his behalf was refused by magistrates.
