CHUNK the sniffer dog was so keen when his handler lifted up a trap door during a search at a shisha bar raid, he dived straight in and fell ten feet through a false ceiling.
Floors and Doors owner Mack Shaikh said the incident left him with a mess and a bill of several hundreds of pounds following the black labrador’s leap into his shop from the Velvet shisha lounge in Weir Street Now 46-year-old Mr Shaikh wants the police to compensate him for the damage, repairs and a lost day of trading to clear up.
Chunk, who was uninjured, was called in when officers raided the shisha lounge following a tip-off about alleged storage and supply of cannabis.
None was found in the three-storey premises but Chunk, who recently found half a kilo of cocaine in Blackburn, detected cannabis in vehicle linked to the business.
Mr Shaikh said: “I came in on Saturday to find tiles everywhere and a hole in the false ceiling which does not look good.
“I was told after the raid, police searched the empty second floor above my shop.”
He added: “It caused a lot of damage, left a real mess and cost me a day’s trading tidying up.
“I shall be formally applying for a few hundred pounds compensation.”
Three-year-old Chunk recently found £6,000 and half a kilo of cocaine under the passenger seat of a camper van in Blackburn, leading to the arrest of a wanted man.
PC Carbery said: “It was really unfortunate on the night. “I lifted up a trap door in the floor and he must have thought I was on to something. He was so excited that he jumped straight through and fell about ten feet to the floor below. He landed on his feet and got straight up. “I climbed down some ladders to make sure he was okay and he carried on with his search. He found some cannabis in a car outside straight after.”
A Lancashire police spokesman: “Our understanding is the owner was spoken to and advised to contact the landlord about any damage. He seemed happy with that. “We are not aware of a claim for compensation but we will consider any submitted.”
The Snack Attack Cafe and Sandwich Bar in nearby Vernon Street would like to make clear they are not in any way connected to the Velvet shisha lounge and remain open.
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